Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum
From SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
Chairman of the High Powered Response Team on Prevention and Control of the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Borno state, Alhaji Usman Umar , announced on Saturday that the response committee had so far recorded 11 deaths.
Kadafur, who is also the State Deputy Governor of the state, made the disclosure during the daily media update briefing on coronavirus in Maiduguri.
He added that the total number of patients with positive cases had increased from 53 to 69 as at Saturday, including 16 health workers under the COVID-19 from over 233 contacts .
Kadafur said the committee had been working relentlessly round the clock to ensure the disease does not spread, adding that the medical or surveillance teams were able to contain the situation and bring it under control.
According to him, the situation has informed the need to expand and increase the number of Isolation Centers and facilities in Maiduguri and other parts of the state to enable medical team attend to issues over there without taking the pain to travel ling distances to reach Maiduguri city with patients or samples .
He however appealed to the general public to be very mindful of the consequences and danger pose by the deadly disease which has no cure yet and easily attack people that has respiratory problems.
Speaking also at the briefing, the State Commissioner if Health who is also the Secretary of the High Powered Reapinse Committee on Coronavirus 2019, Dr. Aliyu Salisu kwaya Bura explained further the reasons behind the increasing number of mortality rate from the coronavirus disease in the state , pointing out that, certain sicknesses or ailments already with some individuals like diabetes, HP, typhoid, asthma, chest disease or pain, nymornia, high fever and kidney disease are prompt to COVID-19 infection.
He therefore urged the media to educate and enlighten the get real public on the need for proper personal hygiene, wearing of face masks always, maintaining social distancing even at burials and continue to obey the standing rules in COVID-19. While announcing change on the daily media update press briefing by the Reapinse Committee from daily to only Mondays and Thursdays every week for th updates on the COVID-19.
The commissioner also solicited for cooperation and understanding of the media in the coverage of the COVID-19 and activities if the State Government High Powered Reapinse Committee in order not to create panic and mislead the the public.
The State Commissioner if Informatiion and Home Affairs, Babakura Abba Jato on his part appealed to Journalists to continue to give the Committee and COVID-19 full coverage and inform the public appropriately the situation in ground as the Committee and government have no hidden agenda and have concern for it’s people.
He also enjouned the media to continue to inform, educate and create awareness among the people on the use of face masks, social distancing, hand washing with sanitizers and avoid social gathering even in mosques and churches by ensuring continuous compliance of government order on lockdown.