Jigawa says its first COVID-19 case belonged to Kano, but was rejected

The Jigawa State Government on Friday explained that the state’s first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 belonged to Kano State, but was receiving treatment in the state.

This was stated by the Chairman of the state’s COVID-19 Task Force, Abba Zakari, at a press conference in Dutse on Friday.

According to him, the case was recorded in Kano, and as a result, it was listed as one of the 21 cases confirmed in Kano as of April 16, 2020.

Zakari said: “In spite of the fact that the patient is an indigene of Jigawa, his sample was taken in Kano; the sample was among the 21 cases confirmed positive by Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Kano.”

The task force chairman further disclosed that rather than treat the patient in Kano, the officials insisted the case should be transferred to Jigawa.

“Some days ago, two persons returning from the south-west were intercepted in Kano where their samples were taken to NCDC for testing.

Read also: Kaduna discharges three COVID-19 patients

“The returnees happened to be indigenes of Jigawa; one of the samples returned positive and the other negative.

“The procedure is that wherever a sample is taken for testing, the result, positive or negative, belongs to that particular state where the sample was taken from.

“We spoke with officials of Kano state on the need to treat the patient over there but it proved abortive, so our governor directed that the patient be brought to Jigawa for isolation and treatment. The patient has been isolated and is doing well.”

Zakari said Kano’s reason for insisting on transferring the patient to Jigawa was because he is an indigene of the state and he was in fact headed to Jigawa when he was intercepted.

“People should understand that dealing with issues surrounding COVID-19 requires cooperation.

“For instance, the comptroller general of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Mr Muhammed Babandede, who is an indigene of Jigawa, tested positive to the virus, but was never recorded as a Jigawa case, because he was not tested in Jigawa. Rather, he was confined and isolated at the FCT where his sample was taken. Winning the war against COVID-19 is a collective responsibility”, he said.

The NCDC, in its latest data of confirmed cases in the country, said the COVID-19 disease is in 19 states in the country, excluding Jigawa.

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