Borno State Committee on the Control and Prevention of COVID-19 has identified 97 contacts with the dead index case for tracing and isolation.
Borno deputy governor and chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Umar Kadafur disclosed at a press briefing in Maiduguri that the idea is to mop up all the people who had contact with the index case.
The Chairman of the Committee also used the occasion to officially announce the outbreak of coronavirus in the state where a patient has also died saying, “the Borno State High- powered committee on the prevention and control of COVID-19 hereby announce to the general public that one case of COVID-19 disease was confirmed in Maiduguri on Sunday,19th April 2020.
“He was a 56-year-old citizen of Borno who was brought in from Pulka with features of severe respiratory disease. He was managed in the UMTH but unfortunately, he succumbed to the disease (may his soul rest in peace)”, he announced.
Hon. Kadafur also disclosed that the deceased “has been buried in line with standard protocol for disposal of infectious body”.
He noted that; “All contacts of the diseased are being traced and necessary measures to prevent further spread has been put in place.
“To this point, about 99 persons of interest have been traced and strategic testing instituted (35 in Pulka and 64 in Maiduguri)”.
According to him, the State Committee on COVID-19 have equally directed the organization he was working for to make available to the committee a line list profile of the people in the organization to proceed on quarantine or self isolation to mitigate the spread of the virus in the state.
He announced that a team of surveillance and case management have been deployed to Pulka today Monday, 20, April 20 20 for sample collection and testing.
“A team on surveillance and case management have been deployed to Pulka today for further investigation and sample collection,” he said.
The chairman called on the people of Borno to understand that the coronavirus is real without immunity from any nation or people.
“May I at this juncture reiterate to the good people of Borno that COVID-19 disease is real, and no nation or people are immune,” warned.
He appeal to the people to maintain good hygiene and other preventive measures of the virus while conveying the condolences of the governor to the family of the victim.
He announced that “the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre for COVID-19 in Borno state will be activated in line with procedure”.
