WHO is very worried about Kano right now as coronavirus cases surge

Worried about a “serious COVID-19 cluster” in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is re-purposing 3,000 community informants from the primary healthcare center to help contain the novel coronavirus in the state.

On May Day, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 92 COVID-19 cases in Kano, amid growing concerns that containment efforts in the state have been subpar thus far.

The NCDC has now confirmed 311 COVID-19 cases in Kano, from barely any a couple of weeks ago, with the state now trailing the commercial hub of Lagos which remains the epicenter of the outbreak in Nigeria.

The WHO’s top emergencies expert, Dr. Mike Ryan, says the organisation is worried about the spread of the virus in countries like Haiti, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Sierre Leone, Central African Republic, and a “serious cluster” in Kano.

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force for the control of COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha. [Twitter/@DigiCommsNG] Pulse Nigeria

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of Nigeria’s presidential task force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, says his team has “expanded contact tracing and isolation” in Kano.

“A lot of emphasis is being placed on the training of different categories of manpower – medical, nursing, cleaners, etc, the building of capacity for coordination and care management and supply chain. We are also putting together a structure from the Presidential Task Force team to provide support on a full-time basis.

“The United Nations system coordinated by the World Health Organisation is also putting together a search team and re-purposing 3,000 community informants from the primary healthcare in Kano to strengthen the coordination of COVID-19 at state and local government levels.

“Although the spike in numbers coming out of Kano is a bit worrisome, global trends show that this indicates that there is discovery of previously undetected cases in Kano and this has resulted in greater opportunities for detection and isolation, care and management," he added.

President Muhammadu Buhari. [Twitter@BashirAhmaad] Pulse Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari recently imposed a 14-day lockdown in Kano following pleas for federal support from Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

“With regards to Kano, I have directed the enforcement of a total lockdown for a period of two weeks effective immediately. The federal government shall deploy all the necessary human, material and technical resources to support the state in controlling and containing the pandemic and preventing the risk of further spread to neighbouring states,” the president ordered in his national broadcast of Monday, April 27.