Kaduna govt charges fleeing COVID-19 patients to report for treatment

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Mohammed-Baloni, Sunday appealed to persons who had tested positive for COVID-19 to report at its isolation centre for treatment.

Mohammed-Baloni, who made the appeal at a media briefing in Kaduna, said the call was necessary because two persons who were on isolation pending the receipt of their tests, which were positive, had remained incommunicado.

The commissioner said: “These persons subsequently switched off their phones and have remained incommunicado.

“This reckless action of theirs is endangering themselves, their families and the larger community.

“Similar irresponsible conduct by some COVID-19 patients has been reported in other states. It is a pattern of behaviour that must be stopped because it is patently dangerous to public safety.”

Baloni said the details of the two persons had been communicated to the security agencies for tracking and surveillance

“Members of the public who may have relevant information on the whereabouts of these persons are urged to promptly contact the authorities,” she added.

She warned that it was illegal and dangerous for a COVID-19 patient to switch off his phone and make himself inaccessible to health authorities after testing positive for the virus.

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The commissioner reiterated that COVID-19 was not a death sentence, adding that persons who received treatment promptly had a higher chance of defeating the disease.

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