31 almajiri kids from Kano test positive for coronavirus in Jigawa

Another batch of almajiri children sent to Jigawa from Kano state have tested positive for coronavirus.

Dr Abba Zakari, the Chairman, Task Force Committee on COVID-19 and Commissioner for Health in Jigawa announced this on Thursday, May 14, 2020, while giving an update on the pandemic in the state.

“As of yesterday (Wednesday), the NCDC released 23 additional cases. Apart from the 23 cases, we also got 28 almajirai that tested positive and out of 23 announced by the NCDC, three are almajirai.

“So, out of a total of 51 cases, 31 are almajirai. Before now we had 118 cases Plus the 51, that is a total of 169 cases.

“Based on the calculation, you will find out that almost 56 per cent cases that we have here are almajirai and they all were repatriated from Kano’, he said.

As part of measures to curb the spread of the infection in Jigawa, Zakari said that the state government was working with a laboratory in Kaduna to test all almajirai from other states.

He said, “We have also selected a new lab that will be built in the Dutse General Hospital where the equipment will be installed.”

According to ThePunch, the pandemic has spread to eight out of the 27 local government areas of the state.

Zakari had earlier disclosed on Thursday, May 7, 2020, that 16 of the almajiris repatriated from Kano state tested positive for the virus in Jigawa.

The news of the repatriated almajiri kids testing positive for coronavirus broke following an agreement by northern governors to send the kids back to their state of origin to curb the spread of the pandemic in the region.