COVID-19: Kaduna cases rise to 87, two new deaths

Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai has said that the State has recorded two new deaths from COVID-19 pandemic, identifying the latest fatalities as a senior citizen from Makarfi and a lady from Zaria.

The names of the two deceased persons were not made public.

In a tweet from his official twitter account, the governor also revealed that two more persons have tested positive, bringing the active COVID-19 cases in the state to 87.

According to the tweet which was posted at 11:04 pm on Saturday, the two new cases are a male from Igabi and a female from Chikun local government areas.

Kaduna State recorded its first reported fatality on May 2nd when the victim, a retired civil servant who concealed his travel history to Kano, died before the result of his test was made public.

Last week, the government raised the alarm that a majority of COVID-19 cases in the State have travel histories from out of state and that such prohibited inter-state travel during the period of the lockdown is widening the spread of the virus in the State.

A statement issued from Sir Kashim Ibrahim House said that illegal travel has increased the danger of community transmission as infections have “now been recorded in some mainly rural local governments on the borders of the State.”

The statement which was signed by Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, said that “the Standing Committee on COVID-19 appeals for the vigilance and active involvement of all citizens in the effort to avert this peril.”

According to Adekeye, “positive COVID-19 test results have been recorded from seven local government areas: Giwa, Igabi, Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Makarfi, Soba and Zaria.”

THE SUN