Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, yesterday, in Lafia, announced the closure of the House of Assembly following the death of a lawmaker to COVID-19.
Sule, who briefed newsmen, said the closure would enable government trace all contacts the dead lawmaker had in recent weeks.
“The Speaker and all members of the Assembly have agreed to be isolated and their samples have been taken for COVID-19 test,’’ the governor said.
The victim, was the first casualty from the virus in the state, and died last Thursday in Keffi.
Sule explained that he took ill and was admitted at the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, where his sample was collected, having shown symptoms of COVID-19.
“Before the result could return, the member had died and his remains buried according to Islamic rights in Nasarawa Local Government Area. But when his result came out on Saturday, it was positive. Unfortunately, all those who attended the burial did so not knowing his status.The member participated in all the Assembly sittings, a development which has complicated our situation,” he said.
Nasarawa has recorded eight active COVID-19 cases and one death from the virus.
Meanwhile, the governor has evacuated 788 Quranic education pupils (Almajiri) to their states of origin to guard against further spread of the virus.
The governor, who spoke at the flag off of the exercise in Lafia, said the evacuation was a decision reached by governors of the 19 northern states.
He noted that the move was to ensure that parents of the children took proper care them, adding that the government did it in good faith. The evacuation would be in phases, with the first phase to states currently not considered high risks of the pandemic.