(NAN)

The Borno Government has confirmed that the five suspected COVID-19 cases isolated in the state Public Health and Emergency Operation Centre tested negative.

The Commissioner for Health, Salisu Kwayabura, made this known while. addressing newsmen in Maiduguri.

Kwayabura said that the five persons willingly submitted themselves to be tested following their history of travelling to countries with highest coronavirus cases.

“The results from the specimen taken from the five suspected cases for test at the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Abuja, came back negative.

“The five persons were quarantined and closely monitored by the state task force on the prevention against COVID-19.

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“The Health and the Emergency Operation Centre are functioning at an optimal level and fully ready to deal with any emergency in the state”, he said.

Also speaking, the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Usman Kadafur, urged the people in the state to ensure the highest level of personal hygiene, including the regular washing of hands and use of sanitizers in public places.

Kadafur, who is the Chairman Rapid Response Committee for the Prevention of COVID-19, urged the people to cooperate with the government’s policies and measures designed to prevent the spread of the virus.

He said that the committee had deployed health personnel across the state to enforce compliance on government rules against the disease.

Kadafur, however, warned traders, petroleum marketers and others not to use the COVID-19 lockdown to extort from innocent citizens of the state.

“The state government will not condone hoarding of fuel by fuel marketers to cause artificial scarcity and hardship,” he said.