Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has declared total lockdown of the state for seven days, from 10p.m. today, as additional five samples tested positive of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), making the total cases in the state nine.
The fresh cases were announced when the governor declared the total lockdown. The stay-at-home order, according to Ganduje, includes total shut down of places of worship and markets.
The state’s ministry of health confirmed the fresh cases yesterday on its info-graphic data placed on its twitter handle. On Tuesday, the ministry had confirmed one case of the pandemic, putting total positive cases at four. The fourth case was traced to the index case, a 75-year-old former ambassador who tested positive last Saturday.
Two positive cases announced on Monday, a male and female, recently returned from Istanbul and isolated until they were tested. Declaring the lockdown while addressing Islamic scholars at the Government house, Ganduje insisted that the decision became necessary to curtail further spread of the pandemic in the state.
Meanwhile, Kaduna State has discharged one out of the six COVID-19 patients. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Baloni, who broke the news on Wednesday, stated that the patient had recovered following treatment at the isolation centre.
According to her, the patient’s recovery has been confirmed by two consecutive negative results, the second of which came on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.’She further said “the state government is looking forward to the recovery and discharge of the other five patients in the state.’”
Baloni acknowledged “the dedicated contributions of our various teams to our collective COVID-19 efforts. We also wish to pay tribute to the medical professionals at the Infectious Disease Centre for the successful management of this patient.
“The Ministry of Health wishes to remind residents of Kaduna that it is safer and cheaper to observe preventive measures than to treat COVID-19. Citizens must wash their hands regularly with soap and water and scrupulously observe social distancing.
“They are also advised to avoid large gatherings and to stay at home, except when it is absolutely necessary to go out. Wherever they are, they should also practise respiratory hygiene,” she advised.
