Coronavirus: Kano trains 30,000 health workers, tests 39,363 samples

*82 percent of COVID-19 cases recorded in 8 Local Government Areas of the state ─Dr. Tijjani Hussaini, Technical Coordinator, Task Force Committee on COVID-19

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

Towards boosting its capacity to further contain the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Kano State Government says it has trained over 30,000 health workers across the state.

The state government also conducted 39, 363 COVID-19 samples test since the outbreak of the pandemic in the past three months.

Dr. Tijjani Hussaini, Kano State Technical Coordinator of Task Force Committee on COVID-19, disclosed this during the bi-weekly news conference Thursday in Kano City.

According to him, medical and health workers were exposed to case management and preventive techniques to enhance their response to the ravaging pandemic in the state.

Hussaini said that the committee also sensitised organisations, community and religious leaders to create awareness on preventive tips as well as promote adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols in the society.

The Task Force Technical Coordinator stated that 39, 363 samples were tested in the state, adding, 32, 418 results were received from the laboratories.

He said that the state had so far recorded 1, 566 confirmed cases; 1, 258 discharged and 53 deaths while 255 were active cases.

Most of the active cases are home base care, representing about 4.84 per cent below the national index.

82 percent of the cases were recorded in eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, said he.

According to him, the high prevalence areas include Kano Municipal, Tarauni, Dala, Gwale, Nasarawa, Fagge, Kumbotso and Ungogo.

The Coordinator added that the state had five molecular testing centres with 1, 350 testing capacity per day, to enhance detection and effective response to the pandemic.

“Because of the fact that the size of samples collected in the state outstripped what the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recommended, that is 100 per state, while we collect in thousands.

“And with the five testing centres in the state, we still take some of our samples to Abuja for testing,” he said.

While expressing concern over the recent surge in virus infections as against the zero case recorded in the past five days in the state, he said the committee would scale up sensitisation and enforcement of COVID-19 protocols, including the use of nose masks to sustain the feat achieved in the fight against the pandemic in the state.