From: Ruth Yarnap Bauchi
Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State has declared a total lockdown of three local government areas in the state for a period of 10 days as part of efforts to curtail the further spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in the state.
The governor revealed this on Sunday during a press conference on the update of the pandemic in the state saying that the three local governments affected are Katagum, Giade and Zaki local governments.
He said that the lockdown takes effect from Tuesday 12th May, 2020 and it is for ten days to monitor the situation, which will determine the next line of action to be taken.
Bala Mohammed then lamented the non-challant attitude of the people of Bauchi North Senatorial zone, where 44 new infections were recorded in one day, saying that the situation is unacceptable by his administration.
According to him, “In spite of the series of calls, people still travel to Kano on a daily basis from where they are importing the infection thereby making it a community transmission challenge.This is unacceptable by the government.
“I have given the Deputy Governor, Sen Baba Tela a marching order to immediately proceed to Azare in order to ensure that the total lockdown order is fully implemented no matter who is involved. We share borders with Kano and Jigawa, so our people from the Northern zone find it very easy to go to Hadejia and other towns for businesses from where they get infected and bring it to transmit among the people innocently. We must put a stop to the trend” .
The governor added, “The situation is very alarming, just as I was talking to you, another information came in that an additional 27 positive cases from the area arrived, you can imagine what we are saying.I am appealing to the people of Bauchi State to continue to adhere strictly to all the prescribed public health protocols put in place by government to curtail community transmission of the infection” .
He then appealed to the testing center in Jos to release results of samples sent for testing from the state assuring that his government is working round the clock to have a COVID-19 test laboratory to ease the problem of testing.
Regarding the deaths in Azare, the Governor said that available records in the state, stated that in the last 30 days, the total number of deaths is more than 120, majorly from old age, childbirth and other terminal illnesses, adding that the state only recorded one COVID-19 related death.
