Health Commissioner, Salisu Kwayabura has disclosed that all the 17 suspected cases of coronavirus in Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State tested negative.
This disclosure was made by the Commissioner while briefing reporters in Maiduguri on Saturday on the activities of the state task force on COVID-19.
Kwayabura said that the surveillance and investigation team initially identified 35 individuals with contacts to the index case, but from further analysis, only 17 persons met the medical criteria for tests to be carried out on them.
The commissioner said the state recorded one more death from the 15 positive cases recorded as at Thursday.
On the discrepancy between the figures released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the state on infections, the commissioner said the NCDC actually relies on states for updates, and not the other way round.
He said the NCDC update was caused by a communication gap.
The commissioner said there was no question about the fact that there are 15 cases in Borno and of them, seven patients are receiving medical attention at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and five patients are at Brigadier General Abba Kyari Isolation centre, managed by the state government, also in Maiduguri. Remaining three cases are the deaths recorded.
The state’s COVID-19 response team has also accepted and approved a recommendation by Governor Babagan Umara Zulum for the statewide lockdown to be relaxed on Monday and Thursday for citizens to shop for food.
The team however explained that it is taking measures to ensure strict social distancing during the days and part of the measures is to enforce the use of face masks as conditions for entrance into major markets, particularly in Maiduguri metropolis which is highly populated.