IDP, 2 Others Contract COVID-19 In Borno As Government Vows To Punish 3 Erring Imams
An Internally Displaced Person (IDP) and two others are among 15 persons confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus in Borno, the state government announced in Maiduguri on Friday.
The government also resolved to punish three imams who violated the order for a lockdown to check the spread of the virus by conducting Friday Juma’at prayers.
Meanwhile, two of those infected, including the index case, a 56-year-old aid worker, and another 36-year-old have died, the Commissioner for Health in Borno, Dr Salisu Kwayabura, said.
“The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Borno are now 15 after additional tests were carried out on traced persons of interest.
“One of the new cases is an Internally Displaced Person. The IDP was identified during contact tracing of an earlier confirmed case, and tracked to an Internally Displaced Persons Camp where he lives and invited for isolation,” kwayabura said.
And addressing a news conference in Maiduguri, the State Commissioner for Information, Babakura Abba-Jatto, said the Government had informed
the Chief Imam of Borno and the Shehu of Borno of the action of the imams.
“We can only practise our religion only when we are in good health,” the commissioner said.
On April 20, Governor Babagana Zulum ordered a 14-day lockdown that took effect on April 22 in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
In a statewide broadcast, the governor said: “Our index case, as confirmed by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has brought to us a strong and dangerous warning.
“COVID-19 is real and has reached us in Borno State.”
The governor said: “I have signed an executive order declaring COVID-19 as a dangerous disease.
“I am directing a total lockdown that will see to the cessation of all movements in Borno for an initial period of 14 days with effect from Wednesday, April 22, 2020 by 10.30p.m.”
As at Friday, Nigeria’s COVID-19 cases were 1, 095 following the addition of 114 new cases.
According to NCDC, 80 of the new infections are in Lagos, 21 in Gombe and five in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Out of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, 32 have died and 208 recovered, according to NCDC.
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