…With one death so far recorded
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Bauchi State as at Saturday, May 9, 2020 has a total of 155 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 infection following its recorded 44 new positive cases of the infection.
Among those infected with the virus is a journalist working with a foreign media organisation just as one death has so far been recorded as a result of complications from the disease.
Chairman of the Surveillance Team of the Bauchi State Task Force on COVID-19, who is also the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, who announced these on Saturday at the daily briefing, said that the 44 fresh confirmed cases was revealed after the people tested positive by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Mohammed further explained that the development was out of the 117 returning results investigated while eight are still pending at the NCDC. He however assured that the state is intensifying contact tracing and samples collection, adding that the state Surveillance Team will continue to isolate all suspected cases where necessary.
He said; “In summary, so far 824 contacts have been line listed and will continue to be monitored. We recorded one death as other patients are responding to treatment.
“The Case Management Team have been properly managing the 155 hospitalized cases at the ATBU Teaching Hospital, FMC Azare as well as Specialist Hospital, Bauchi while the General Hospital, Bayara remains the isolation centre for any suspected case.”
Mohammed also said that the number of samples taken for testing for COVID-19 status is 828 while the number of those who have so far tested positive is 161 just as the number of active cases remains 155 while the number of recovered cases stands at six with zero number of severe cases as well as one death recorded.
Mohammed also said that the State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed has graciously agreed to foot the bill of status testing by all working journalists in the state as well as their treatment if tested to be positive of the virus.
He then encouraged the journalists to volunteer themselves for sample testing to enable them know their COVID-19 status saying; “testing positive of COVID-19 infection is not a death sentence but a means to healthy living”.
The disclosure that a journalist tested positive, created apprehension among other journalists that were at the Banquet Hall of the Government House for the COVID-19 update briefing.
