*He was in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna; visited friend, hospital, diagnostics centre 

By Bashir Bello & Abdulmumini Murtala

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has, on Saturday, confirmed that the state recorded its first COVID-19 patient.

A 75-year-old retired civil servant and a former ambassador tested positive for coronavirus.

The governor, who announced this while addressing newsmen in the state, also said nine persons who had contact with the patients have tested negative, while others were still being traced to contain the spread of the disease.

Ganduje said the patient have been moved to the Kwanar Dawakin Kudu Isolation Centre, where he is currently receiving treatment.

He said: “Specifically, what happened was that, a 75- year-old retiree and a former ambassador travelled to Kaduna, Lagos and Abuja. He came back to Kano on March 25.

“Three days ago, he made a call to our medical team inviting them for him to be tested. And the medical team went to his residence. A sample was taken along with nine other samples and taken to Abuja.

“And today (Saturday) we got the result that one sample proved positive, while nine other samples proved negative.

ALSO READ: COVID-19: Ogiemwonyi launches awareness campaign in Edo

“So today it is confirmed that we have one coronavirus patient here in Kano, a 75-year-old retired civil servant and a former ambassador of the federal republic of Nigeria. 

“He has no history of travelling abroad recently at least for the last six weeks. But his medical records have shown that he had heart complications and probably this has aided in this particular circumstance, which he found himself.”

Ganduje further explained that the state government is making all efforts possible to ensure that all those he had contact with are traced, tested and isolated to prevent the spread of the virus in the state. 

He added: “But what we are busy doing now, especially the medical team, is to trace his contacts right from the time he came back to Kano on March 25.

“It was discovered that he attended a marriage ceremony, so a census has been taken of those who came in contact with him and right now samples of them taken.

“He also attended a Friday mosque prayer last Friday. Those who were in contact with him were identified and their samples are being taken.

“Also when his sample was taken and sent to Abuja, before the result was brought back, he fell sick and he went to a private hospital and also to a private diagnostic centre.

“The team has visited the place and I have ordered the closure of that private hospital after adequate census was taken of all those who came in contact with him, including the doctors and the nurses and all those who had contact with him.

“Also the private diagnostic centre, which he visited, has also been closed down after adequate census has been taken of all those who came in contact with him.

“Also in his house, those who visited him, as well and we learned that he went to a friend’s house and had dinner, the house owner was requested to make himself available for the test, which he did and also made his entire family members available.

“Luckily enough here in Kano today, we don’t need to take the samples to Abuja. The federal government has already established a testing centre at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Right now all our samples are there for further investigation.

“Now the tracing of his contacts has continued and we want to make sure that 100 percent of those who came in contact with him are recovered and tested accordingly. This is a task that is going on now.”

Addressing the people of the state on measures to be taken by the state government on the recent development, the governor barred tricycle commuters from carrying more than one person per drop.

He warned that business will not be as usual.

His words: “The problem now is that, members of the public must know that business is not as usual. What we were hearing in faraway other states has now come into Kano State.

“Therefore, movement of the people must be restricted. The tricycle commuters must take only one person at a time  and the security agencies are being fully briefed on this issue.

“We are holding discussions with the Ulama pertaining to the Friday mosques.

“Already we have been emphasising spacing, social distancing in the mosques. Sanitary solutions have all been provided all over.

“But that is not enough. We must take drastic action to see that social distance is maintained and the Ulama will be consulted to see that further action is taken.

 “Concerning the concentration of people in our markets, we will hold discussion with the business community and find out those markets that are absolutely necessary to operate for members of the public.

“So a firm decision will be taken. Ladies and gentlemen is a very serious issue and people must take this issue very seriously.

“Pertaining to the health workers, we are taking adequate steps to provide protective items, so that they don’t get exposed. We are also working out some remunerations for those frontline doctors, pharmacists and nurses and to see what package we can give them in order to make them feel that they are being appreciated.”

Vanguard