UPDATED: COVID-19, Gov Ganduje Confirms first case of Coronavirus in Kano

Gov Ganduje Confirms First Case of Coronavirus in Kano
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano has confirmed the first coronavirus case in Kano, the most populated state in Nigeria.

Speaking in Hausa language in a video recording, the governor said the patient had been taken to a designated isolated centre in the state.

He said the state government is working towards putting in place restrictive measures to contain the pandemic.

“We are liaising with religious and market leaders on the stringent measures to curtail large gatherings of people in places of worships and markets.”

Kano state is the most populated state in Nigeria according to the census conducted in 2006 and had a population of over 9 million people. It is located in the north-west geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

Created on May 27, 1967 from part of the Northern Region, Kano state borders Katsina State to the north-west, Jigawa State to the north-east, Bauchi State to the south-east and Kaduna State to the south-west. The capital of Kano State is Kano.

By PRNigeria

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Press Statement

COVID-19: Kano’s Confirmed Positive Case, People Must Maintain Social Distancing, Says Ganduje

-Warns business will not be as usual

-Offers special packages for frontline health workers

With the first confirmed positive COVID-19 case in Kano state, governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje assured that business would not be as usual concerning social distancing and all other measures against the spread of the virus.

He made this known, during special press briefing after sample taken from one retired civil servant and a former Ambassador of the federal republic, and came back positive.

Governor disclosed that, “A 75year old retiree and a former Ambassador who travelled to Kaduna, Abuja and Lagos and came back to Kano on 25th March, who was not feeling fine for the last few days and voluntarily invited our medical team, who took the sample alongside other 9 samples.”

“After the sample is returned it found out that he is positive while other 9 are negative. It is confirmed today that we have a positive case of COVID-19 in Kano. He has no history of travelling abroad in the last 6 weeks. And also his medical report shows that he has heart problem. Which aggravated his case,” he said.

Governor Ganduje added that, “He is currently at our Kwanar Dawaki Isolation Centre receiving all the necessary attention. Where we have all the necessary facilities. What we are doing now is we are tracing all his contacts. As samples were also taken from some of those who had contacts with him.”

All the samples so far taken, according to the governor are taken to the just commissioned Kano Testing Centre, at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

Ganduje ordered for the immediate closure of the private hospital the person went to see a Doctor and the private Diagnosis facility he went also.

With all seriousness and determination, governor Ganduje insisted that, “Members of the public should know that, business is not as usual! Movement must be restricted!! Tricycle operators must take only one passenger!!!

On Friday Prayers and markets, he reveals that, meetings with Ulama and market leaders are holding soonest, before any decisions are reached. But further warned that, “We must take measures that are absolutely necessary, however hard they appeared to be.”

Assuring all that “It is better to bear with hard measures than to just go and die. It is therefore necessary for all to know that, social distancing and all other medical advices are absolutely necessary.”

On the health workers, he said “We have all the protective items for our frontline health workers. We are also looking at some special packages for our frontline health workers, Doctors, Nurses and Lab Technicians among others.”

Abba Anwar
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kano State
[email protected]