14 health workers test positive for coronavirus in Katsina

Fourteen health workers have tested positive for coronavirus in Katsina.

This was disclosed by the governor of the state, Aminu Masari on Monday.

He said the health workers were among the 37 new COVID-19 cases recorded between 2nd and 4th May in Katsina.

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Masari said the health workers were not specifically working on coronavirus-related issues but got contracted through consultations of patients at various clinics across the state.

“So far, we have 75 positive cases for now in the state , out of them six has been discharged from the isolation centres.

“Of the 37 new cases that were recorded, 14 are medical staff—Doctors, Nurses and auxiliary staff but these are not medical personnel working directly with the COVID-19 patients.

“These were doctors and nurses that treated patients who came with the normal symptoms that later tuned out to be COVID-19. 10 of them are in Federal Medical Centre and four in a private hospital”

“22 of the remaining 23 are right inside here in Katsina while one in Daura,” he said. ‎

Daily Trust had reported that the palace of the Emir of Daura was sealed after it recorded a case of COVID-19.

President Muhammadu Buhari is from Daura.

The secretary to the state government, Dr Mustapha Inuwa, who confirmed the development, said the results of samples taken will determine when the palace will be reopened.

“It is a normal protocol worldwide that anywhere positive cases are recorded, the places are sealed off and samples taken to address spread,” he added.

Speaking on the matter, the spokesman of the state police command, SP Gambo Isa, said “For the police, Daura is under lockdown and so it shall be in every nook and cranny in the town without exception to anybody’s house, the police are just ensuring the lockdown order of the state government”.

Katsina State on Sunday recorded eight new cases of coronavirus, according to data released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 46.

While six persons have recovered and have since been discharged, the state has recorded seven fatalities, including its index case, a medical doctor resident in Daura, Dr. Aliyu Yakubu, who returned from Lagos a week before his death.