Twenty four more Almajiris have tested positive for COVID-19 in Jigawa state.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Abba Zakari, made this known during a press briefing on Friday.
He also disclosed that two health workers in the state also tested positive for COVID-19.
He said that they were exposed to the disease at the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin-Kudu and Rasheed Shekoni Specialist Hospital in Dutse, the state capital.
A total of 40 almajiri have now tested positive for COVID-19 in the state.
More than 500 almajiri children have been repatriated to the state and sample collection and testing is ongoing to determine their COVID-19 status.
They are currently quarantined at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in the state.
While those that have tested negative have been released to their families, those who tested positive have been moved to isolation centres.
There had been concerns when more than 40 people died in the state in the space of one week.
However, Abdullahi Maikanti, chairman of Hadejia local government council in Jigawa, said the 47 deaths recorded in the area have no link to COVID-19.
“After we conducted verbal autopsy and visited Gawuna and General Hospital burial grounds, we concluded that 47 people died from April 30 to May 6,” he had said.
“The deceased were aged between 70 and 100 years, and had been battling with illnesses like hypertension, asthma, stroke, among others, for many years.”
As of Friday, 83 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been recorded in Jigawa
