The Kaduna State Ministry of Health said on Wednesday that it had discharged one more patient out of the six persons who tested positive for the coronavirus in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Mahammed Baloni, who gave the confirmation, said the latest discharge had taken the number of cleared cases to five since April 14.
Baloni, however, confirmed three new cases of coronavirus infection in the state, bringing the latest total number of pending cases in Kaduna state to four.
According to her, among the three new cases, is a 23-year-old male “who came into the state from Istanbul via Dubai sometime in March.’’
She added that the second patient “is a 51-year-old male who was tested in Samaru, Sabon-Gari Local Government Area, after coming in from Kano.’’
Baloni said that the third patient had earlier travelled to Kano and he is a 42-year-old male from Unguwan Geza, Kaduna.
“These new cases reflect the danger that inter-state travels pose to efforts to contain COVID-19.
“Such travels spread the virus from place to place, complicate contact-tracing, and risk implanting the virus in communities,” she said.
The commissioner insisted that the lockdown, which compelled “people to stay at home is based on the logic that during a pandemic, the less contact with others, the safer everyone is.’’
She, therefore, advised residents “to avoid inter-state travels and to promptly report to the authorities any person who has recently travelled from an affected state and develops symptoms of cough, fever, or sore throat.
“Such reports can be made to the COVID-19 Call Centre in Kaduna State, on the following numbers: 08051217710, 09058008251, 08118588175, 08118588176, and 09032102632.’’
She also urged the public not to disregard “the importance of hand-washing, personal hygiene, social distancing, and the avoidance of large gatherings in helping to protect us all from COVID-19.
