(Minna)
There is palpable fear and disquiet in government circle in Niger state over purported escape of a woman from isolation centre suspected to have tested positive Coronavrus.
Duaglobalnews reports the fear has been heightened, following the news confirmed cases of the COVID-19, including a medical doctor, in addition to the earlier four.
The online publication further reports that the first is a well known Tuberculosis patient from Limawa area, the second a returnee from Lagos while the third and forth are travelers from Kano state before, the most recent three cases.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammad Makusidi who gave an update on COVID 19 in the state on Wednesday evening, the infected medical doctor worked at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Bida who returned from Kano state recently.
The second case according, Makunsidi, is another returnee from Akwa Ibom state who is from Kagara while the third person is a female resident of Suleja town but another returnee from Kano.
Makusidi also said that a confirmed case from same Kano state, hitherto in isolation at the Minna isolation center, had absconded but that efforts on by the covid 19 committee in the state to trace and ensure he returns to the isolation centre.
The female victim had started exhibiting symptoms of the disease from Kano but found her way back to the state, allegedly due to lack of attention.
“She was immediately approached by some members of the state Covid-19 committee, following a tip-off where she profusely denied exhibiting any of the likely symptoms,”the commissioner said.
According to him,the three new confirmed patients, already on quarantine at the state government facility are being profiled accordingly,adding that one of the initial confirmed cases has been discharged.
The commissioner said the patient was discharged after twice testing negative to the virus.
Meanwhile, some persons quarantined at government facility in Minna as at Wednesday, have expressed concern over what they termed “unfavorable treatment and the poor condition of facilities where the covid 19 patients are being kept.”
They showed this through protest, adding that they were particularly not comfortable with feeding arrangement by the state government.
The protesters, therefore, requested to be allowed to be in their homes instead of being left to die of hunger at the quarantine facility.
Some residents have also expressed fears over what they described as the porous borders across Niger state, a development they said was responsible for sudden increase in covid 19 cases in the state.
A resident of Minna, Zubairu Imam, called on the state government to enforce closure of borders with other states, to make it impossible for the Coronavrus carriers to infiltrate into the state.
He said that the closure would also slow the spread of the dreadly disease and safe the people from the risk of contracting the disease.
