3 coronavirus patients disappear in Kano

Three people who tested positive for coronavirus in Kano have disappeared, according to an official.

The Coordinator of Kano Taskforce on COVID 19, Dr Tijjani Hussain, told The Nation on Monday, April 27, 2020 that the three disappeared from their respective homes and have been unreachable.

"We are collaborating with security agents to track them and bring them to the isolation centre," he said.

Two people had similarly disappeared in Borno after testing positive for the disease, and were declared wanted.

One of them was found in a critical state at his family house earlier on Monday and has been put on ventilator at an isolation centre.

Kano has recorded a total of 77 coronavirus cases and three deaths, as of the time of this report.

The state has been a major source of concern for many in the country especially after its testing centre suspended operations last week because three laboratory workers tested positive for the virus.

In an interview with BBC Hausa on Monday, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said the closure of the state's testing centre is a major problem in its fight against the disease.

The situation in Kano has been worsened by reports of over 600 deaths recorded in the state over the course of the past week.

Even though the government has insisted that the deaths have nothing to do with the coronavirus disease, no clear explanation has been provided for the surge in deaths.

Nigeria has recorded 1,273 coronavirus cases in 32 states and the FCT, as of April 26.

239 people have recovered, but 40 people have died.