Kaduna: 167 Almajiris From Kano Test For Coronavirus

The Kaduna State Government, on Saturday, said 167 Almajiris from Kano State had been made to test for Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Amina Mohammed-Baloni, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

“Testing of 167 almajiris from Kano has now been completed, and the number of positive cases from this group may rise beyond the 21 recorded before we completed testing this category of persons,” said Mohammed-Baloni.

The Commissioner also disclosed that the state’s first COVID-19 death had recently returned from Kano State, adding that the active cases in the state had risen to 28 on 30 April.

“The three patients that increased the number from 25 include two males and the first female Covid-19 case in the state. The female patient is a health worker who is not involved in the treatment of Covid-19 cases.

“One of the two males was a retired civil servant male with underlying medical conditions, who concealed his recent travel to Kano when he visited a public hospital and a private hospital.

“He was eventually admitted at the isolation center with respiratory distress. He died before his positive test result was released. He is the first Covid-19 fatality in Kaduna State. His family has been informed of his demise and he has since been buried according to the burial protocol of the NCDC,” she said.

The Commissioner said health officials in the state had decontaminated the two hospitals that the deceased visited, adding that a health worker who attended to the deceased had been isolated alongside his family members.

Mohammed-Baloni also stated that Kaduna had traced up to 95% of contacts in the state.

She appealed to citizens who have been exposed to Covid-19 to avoid infecting others.

“Rather, they should follow the safe protocol of isolating themselves at home while contacting health officials.

“Concealing relevant information and engaging in conduct that exposes others to the risk of infection constitutes a danger to the community and is regarded as wilful and reckless endangerment of the well-being and lives of other citizens. Such conduct contravenes the provisions of the Quarantine Orders and could lead to prosecution,” she added.