Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mohammed Baloni said the state has recorded one new case of the dreaded Coronavirus (COVID-19), which brings the number of positive cases in the state to five. The commissioner who in a statement issued on Monday said, ‘’So far, the state has sent 89 samples to Abuja for testing, among which five samples returned positive, 77 samples were negative, and 8 samples are pending. 119 contacts have been listed and further contact tracing is ongoing.’’
According to her, ‘’the State Government has been taking vigorous actions to contain the spread of COVID-19 since February, by reaching out to the Chief Medical Directors of all hospitals in the state, daily evaluation of the pandemic and devising new ways to check the spread.’’ The Commissioner further said that the ministry has set up an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), which is chaired by the Commissioner of Health and meets every day, to take proactive measures.
Dr Baloni further said that the ministry has “reactivated and strengthened the Infectious Disease Control Centre (IDCC), by posting trained health workers to the facility, who are currently caring for our patients. In addition, the ministry has also concluded arrangements for the take-off of an alternative isolation centre, which has 69 rooms, where mild to moderate cases will be managed,’’ according to her.
Explaining further, she said, ‘’The facility is expected to be ready to receive patients this week. In the same vein, the Kaduna State Government has also concluded arrangements for the establishment of a testing laboratory in collaboration with Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, for quick diagnosis,’’ she revealed.
