COVID-19: Borno govt orders lockdown of state after index case death

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, on Monday ordered a total lockdown of the state following the death of the state’s COVID-19 index case.

The patient, a nurse with the Doctors Without Borders died at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital on Sunday.

The governor, who disclosed this in a statewide broadcast, said the directive takes effect from Wednesday.

He also ordered the probe of the index case’s death.

He said: “Last night (Sunday), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control confirmed an index case of COVID-19, otherwise known as coronavirus, in our dear state which took the life of one of us.

“Until his unfortunate death, the late health worker dedicated himself to providing humanitarian healthcare services to fellow citizens that were critically affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Borno State will forever be grateful for his services. We are also profoundly grateful to all healthcare service providers, whose dedication to saving lives, will now be needed more than we ever did.

“In the exercise of the powers conferred on me, I have signed an executive order, declaring COVID-19 a dangerous disease. For this, I am hereby directing a lockdown that will require cessation of all movements in Borno State for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22nd of April, 2020.

READ ALSO: 38 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed as Nigeria’s overall figure hits 665

“All citizens in Borno State are to stay in their homes. This means all public gatherings are restricted while offices and businesses in Borno State are to be fully closed during this period. Security and intelligence agencies have been briefed for enforcement.

“Government will use this period of restriction to accelerate the tracing and isolation of persons who have been in contact with the index case.”

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