Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto

The Sokoto State Government has announced that it has started texting the thirty-six contacts of the second case of COVID-19 in the state to determine their status.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Muhammed Ali Inname, disclosed this while updating the media on the state of COVID-19 in the state.

Inname, who also chairs the state’s COVID-19 Response team, said the eight new positive cases were traced to the first index case.

“As you may recall, the State recorded the 1st case of COVID-19 on the 19th of April 2020. Likewise, the second case was declared on the 23rd of April 2020. Yesterday, 8 more cases were identified in the state making a total of 10 cases of the disease in the state.

“All the contacts of the cases are being traced, many samples were collected and will be collected and processed. It is important at this point to know that the testing centre for COVID 19 is activated in Sokoto, henceforth, no need to take samples to Abuja for testing.

“The index case in the state has no travel history and no documented contact with a known COVID-19 patient. However, investigation is ongoing to unravel the source of infection to the index case. Among the 8 new cases found yesterday, most of them are from the contacts of the index case.

“Interestingly, all the health workers who partake in the management of the index case tested negative to the disease. This is good news for the health workers in the state. It means once one adhered to the universal precaution while managing a patient, then chances of getting infected are very minimal.

“It is very essential for health workers to look for others diseases and manage them as such, not to be looking for COVID-19 only and allowing people to be dying of other conditions neglected in fear of COVID-19.

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“It is important that we are reminded of the fact that we tested many people, some of whom are late now, who have presentations suggestive of COVID-19 and they tested negative. There will be a lot of people like this that we need to carefully assess and manage as appropriate to save their lives while investigating COVID-19 if suspected,” the health commissioner said.

He further disclosed that both the first and second cases are now responding to treatment and their samples will soon be taken for another round of tests to determine their COVID-19 status.

The commissioner urged residents of the state not to panic, assuring that the state task force will trace all contacts of any positive case as was done with the index case.

He further advised residents of the state to always abide by the regulations of the government by making use of their face masks, to stay at home unless it is necessary to go out, and other necessary measures.

He commended the people of the state, the Sultanate council and the government for their support in curtailing the spread of the virus.

Speaking on public insinuations regarding an increase in burials at the public cemeteries, Inamme said the government is monitoring the activities in the cemeteries.

“I have been monitoring the activities at the public burial ground especially in Sokoto South, Sokoto North and Wamakko local governments, and I can confirm to you that there is no increase in the numbers of people being taken there for burial.

“Let me also use this medium to tell you all that the government has informed all the district heads through their local government administrators to compile lists of all returnees to their areas for proper monitoring,” he said