24 more almajiri kids in Jigawa test positive for COVID-19

Twenty-four more almajiri returnees have tested positive for COVID-19 in Jigawa state.

Abba Zakari, commissioner for health, made this known at a media briefing on Friday.

According to Zakari, who is also the chairman of the state’s task force on COVID-19, two health workers who were exposed to the disease at the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin-Kudu and Rasheed Shekoni Specialist Hospital in Dutse, the state capital, have also tested positive.

Earlier on Friday, the commissioner had announced that samples of 16 almajiri kids sent for testing returned positive.

A total of 40 almajiri have now tested positive for COVID-19 in the state.

More than 500 almajiri children have been repatriated to the state and sample collection and testing is ongoing to determine their COVID-19 status.

They are currently quarantined at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in the state.

While those that have tested negative have been released to their families, those who tested positive have been moved to isolation centres.

There had been concerns when more than 40 people died in the state in the space of one week.

However, Abdullahi Maikanti, chairman of Hadejia local government council in Jigawa, said the 47 deaths recorded in the area have no link to COVID-19.

“After we conducted verbal autopsy and visited Gawuna and General Hospital burial grounds, we concluded that 47 people died from April 30 to May 6,” he had said.

“The deceased were aged between 70 and 100 years, and had been battling with illnesses like hypertension, asthma, stroke, among others, for many years.”

As of Friday, 83 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been recorded in Jigawa