Kaduna State Government has revealed that the latest case of coronavirus in the state is a gatekeeper who recently returned to the state from Lagos.
The patient, has no connection to the first five confirmed cases of the virus in the state, Kaduna Commissioner for health, Amina Baloni, said this in a statement on Saturday.
According to her, the COVID-19 patient who was working as a gateman in the Mando area of the state had traveled to Kaduna on public transport and made contact with the authorities when he began to notice symptoms related to the pandemic.
The Commissioner, who added that patient has been evacuated to the state’s Infectious Disease Centre for treatment, however, warned that the new case may indicate a frightening scenario of possible community transmission of Covid-19 in the state.
She also noted that tracing the contacts of the patient may be difficult.
‘’It is very difficult and complicated to trace the contacts of a patient who came from Lagos via public transport and had some instance of local commuting since his arrival,” she said.
“He does not know who his fellow passengers from Lagos are. But the team is working to develop an idea of his local contacts in Kaduna, including any vehicles he commuted in and people he met at the hospital he visited and within his neighbourhood,’’ she said.
The Commissioner further noted that, “it was in order to prevent and avert a scenario like this that the government has consistently appealed to the public to practise social distancing and directed commercial buses to carry no more than two passengers per row.’’
‘’The instances that have now been recorded of people spreading Covid-19 from one state to another further reinforces the need to stop all inter-state travel. People need to stay in one place and help reduce the footprint of Covid-19.’’.
The Health Commissioner said to prevent such developments, the state government had placed a ban on operation of commercial motorcycle and Keke, warning that with the possible case of possible community transmission of Covid-19, residents must begin to take more seriously the quarantine conditions.’
‘It is important to stay at home, go out only when absolutely necessary and practice personal hygiene, especially washing hands with soap and water regularly. Residents should also observe respiratory hygiene.’’
