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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed the first COVID-19 index case in Plateau State. Patient reportedly came into Jos from Kano on 17th April 2020 and was quarantined. Commissioner of Information Mr. Daniel Majang revealed that the index case has since been isolated for treatment while contact tracing is ongoing.
According to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ninkong Lar Ndam, the index case, a 20 years old lady came into the state from Kano during the lockdown and was arrested by covid-19 taskforce in Plateau state. She was quarantined at one of the facilities in the state, and her sample was taken.
The result came out positive on Thursday 23rd April 2020, moments after the State Governor Simon Bako Lalong, had addressed the state over extension of the lockdown to further slowdown the spread of the disease. Plateau has experience series of restrictions and lockdowns as part of the measures to curtail COVID-19.
There are now 981 confirmed cases in Nigeria with 31 recorded deaths. The global picture is grimmer. Worldwide, there are over 2.6 million cases and 185, 000 deaths. The US has over 823, 000 cases and more than 46, 000 deaths followed by Spain with over 208, 000 cases and close to 22, 000 deaths. Countries with more than 20, 000 deaths from Coronavirus include Italy and Spain while the UK has over 18, 000 deaths.
Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Nigeria – Highlights
- On the 23rd of April 2020, 108 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Nigeria
- Till date, 981 cases have been confirmed, 197 cases have been discharged and thirty-one deaths have been recorded in Nigeria
- The 108 new cases are reported from eight states- Lagos (78), FCT (14), Ogun (5), Gombe (4), Borno (3), Akwa Ibom (2), Kwara (1), Plateau (1).
- A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities
Plateau gears up on curtailment strategies
Plateau State has announced plans to further enhance security processes at all of its borders even as the state Surveillance Team widen its net for contact tracing to fully investigate the index case and other cases that may manifest from it,
The state has launched a Non-Compliance Report Form urging citizens to provide information on individuals that arrived newly in their respective communities as a way to profile possible cases. Filling the form takes a few seconds and information provided is treated as highly confidential for promotion of public health. Information can be provided below by a simple click: https://forms.gle/ki6HohnudQSWH6x27
Also, the state is deploying more CCTV
cameras to monitor activities at the borders and ensure compliance to lockdowns.
More security personnel including vigilantes and members of the community
police are being assigned across the borders and known routes used
illegally for entry.
The
rule on social distancing remains, said Governor Simon Lalong as
he announced an extension of the lockdown from next week, Monday.
States lockdown as Presidential Taskforce gets over $36m int’l donations
State governors have agreed on a two weeks lockdown and closure of all inter-state borders even as the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, announced a possible national lockdown.
According to Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, during the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Taskforce National Pandemic Response Centre in Abuja this week, a nationwide lockdown is imminent as part of the coordinated measures to curtail the pandemic coronavirus with national cases already close to 1000.
All strategic Working Groups that make up the taskforce have been inaugurated. They draw membership from international bodies such as WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, CDC, World Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, civil society groups and the private sector.
Over $36 million have been donated from international bodies and private companies including $33 million from Global Fund. Other donations have come from Max Air, Huawei and several others.
