John Adams, Minna
Niger State has recorded its first COVID-19 death out of the 22 positive cases recorded in the state since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The Vice-Chairman of the state Task Force on COVID-19 and State Commissioner for Health and Hospital Services, Dr Muhammad Makusidi, disclosed the news in Minna, saying that the deceased was among the eight new cases confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The Commissioner explained that out of the 22 results received from the NCDC, eight were positive while 14 returned negative.
Dr Makusidi revealed that from the eight positive cases confirmed, seven are Almajiri returnees from Zaria, Kaduna State, identifying the deceased as a taxi driver who, until his death, ran the Suleja- Abuja route.
He explained that the 40-year-old deceased driver was also a diabetic patient, adding that he died shortly on arrival at the Suleja General Hospital.
Related: COVID-19: Niger State records first death, 8 new cases
The Commissioner said a postmortem sample was taken for test and it returned positive, stressing that contact tracing will commence with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, has again donated 7,500 number of clinical masks and 73 boxes of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Niger State Government to bolster the state’s supply of public health equipment.
Presenting the equipment to the government on behalf of the senator, his aide, Alhaji Sagir Tafida, commended the efforts of the Niger State Task Force Committee on COVID-19 for all the measures it hs taken to contain the further spread of the pandemic.
The senator had earlier donated relief materials which included 900 bags of 50 kg rice to nine local government areas in his constituency and thirty 100 kg of maize, hand washing detergent, among others, to no fewer than 9,990 households across the 99 wards in the nine local government area of his constituency.
The senator, while presenting the items to the government, promised to distribute 9,000 face masks to the nine local government in the constituency to help reduce the risk of spreading the virus in the areas.
According to him, ‘I will continue to pursue every available avenue to support my constituents and the state government to equip our COVID-19 front line workers so they can help keep our state safe and healthy.’
The Secretary to State Government, (SSG), Alhaji Ahmed Matane, who received the donation on behalf of the state government, said it is the first time the state government was receiving such a donation from the federal legislature since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The SSG, thanking the senator for the gesture, described the donation as timely and highly appreciated, saying that it ‘will complement efforts of the COVID-19 Task Force and State Government.’
The SSG also commended the senator for his motion in the National Assembly calling for an urgent response to the security situation being faced by the state in the hands of bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers.