Ehanire: Investigation into Kano deaths still on… no evidence of COVID-19

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, says there is no evidence yet that the mass deaths occuring in Kano state are caused by COVID-19.

Ehanire, who was addressing the house of representatives on Tuesday, said the process to ascertain the cause of the deaths is still ongoing.

Since recording its first case of the disease on April 11, Kano has been experiencing strange deaths which the state government attributed to other causes but COVID-19.

Sani Gwarzo, coordinator of the presidential task force on COVID-19 in the state, later told reporters on Sunday that “we are successful in identifying what the problems are.”

“Let me inform us that most of the deaths recorded of recent and tests carried out showed that coronavirus was the cause,” he was quoted as saying.

“So, before the final report which will be ready in the next one week or few days, it is necessary for the people of Kano to wake up from their slumber that this is a serious issue.”

Addressing the lawmakers, Ehanire said investigations into the deaths in the state are of three streams and there is no result yet linking them to COVID-19.

“That test is still going on, and there are no results,” he said.

“There was never a case of him (the task force coordinator) saying 80 percent of people died from that or any other disease at all.

“The person did not ever say that the people died from coronavirus.”

He added that 95 percent of the cases in the state are in about seven municipal councils, making it more necessary to restrict movements.