Seven health workers tested positive for coronavirus in Borno, says commissioner

Salihu Kwaya-Bura, secretary of the Borno response team on COVID-19, says seven health workers tested positive for coronavirus in the state.

Kwaya-Bura, who is also the commissioner for health, made this known on Friday in Maiduguri while giving an update on the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

He said the state had recorded 15 cases, including two deaths.

“A total of 145 contacts of the confirmed cases have been traced and are being monitored. We received nine alerts from the public; seven were investigated and none is worthy of follow-up, while two are still being investigated,” he said.

He commended the sacrifice and level of compliance shown by the public on the second day of the lockdown, saying the committee was considering modifying the lockdown “in the spirit of Ramadan”.

“We want to see how we can allow those selling iced water, bean cake, tea and bread to operate within their wards so that people can break their fast,” he added.

Borno’s index COVID-19 case, a health worker, died last Sunday, and Babagana Zulum, governor of the state, had declared a lockdown which took effect on Wednesday.

At a media briefing on Wednesday, Umar Kadafur, deputy governor of the state, announced the death of the second patient, and said 144 persons who had contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients were being traced.

As of April 23, 2020, Nigeria had recorded a total of 981 COVID-19 cases; 197 persons have been discharged while 31 deaths were recorded.