Umar Ganduje
Kano State Governor, Umar Ganduje, has called for compliance with the
lockdown in state two days after asking the Federal Government to ease
the restriction, The PUNCH reports.
President Buhari had in a nationwide broadcast on Monday ordered a total
lockdown in the state as part of measures to curb the spread of
coronavirus disease.
But Ganduje asked the Federal Government to ease the 14-day total
lockdown on Thursday, saying it would result in economic hardship in the
state.
The governor’s appeal, however, led to an outrage on social media, with
many commenters asking him to prioritise the health of residents.
On Friday, Kano recorded 92 new cases – the highest daily figure to be reported in any state in Nigeria within 24 hours.
After the new cases recorded on Friday, the governor in a series of
tweets on Saturday said the lockdown was necessary to curb the spread of
the virus.
He also urged residents to obey the lockdown order and maintain social distancing.
He tweeted, “We’re working fast to deal with the spread of #COVID19
in our great state with the conversion of some facilities in the state
to isolation centres. The Abubakar Imam Urology Hospital, Murtala
Muhammed Library Complex, Hospitality and Tourism Institute formerly
Daula Hotel.
“Sports Institute at Karfi and the Nigerian Air Force Hospital will now
house carriers of the pandemic going forward. The Murtala Muhammad
Library Complex is expected to accommodate over 200 beds and also an
estimated 300 beds will be provided at Karfi Sports Institute.
“I reiterate my plea for all Kano citizens to adhere to the lockdown
rule. We need to slow down the virus and this is only possible with
social distancing. Please stay in your homes.”
With the 92 new coronavirus cases recorded on Friday, confirmed infections in Kano have increased to 311.
Data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s website showed that
Kano has recorded no recovery since Nigeria reported its first COVID-19
case on February 27.
The breakdown of the cases recorded by states showed that Kano has
recorded the second-highest number of infections with 311 cases in
Nigeria.
Lagos has the highest number of infections with 1,006 cases and Abuja third with 214 cases.
Cases in Lagos, Kano, and Abuja constitute over 70 per cent of the total cases recorded in Nigeria, The PUNCH reports.
A further breakdown of the data revealed that Kano is the COVID-19 worst-hit state in the northern part of Nigeria.
The NCDC said, “It tweeted, “On the 1st of May 2020, 238 new
confirmed cases and ten deaths were recorded in Nigeria. No new state
has reported a case in the last 24 hours.
“Till date, 2,170 cases have been confirmed, 351 cases have been
discharged and 68 deaths have been recorded in 34 states and the Federal
Capital Territory.
“The 238 new cases are reported from twenty-two states- Kano (92), FCT
(36), Lagos (30), Gombe (16), Bauchi (10), Delta (8), Oyo (6), Zamfara
(5), Sokoto (5), Ondo (4), Nasarawa (4), Kwara (3), Edo (3), Ekiti (3),
Borno (3), Yobe (3), Adamawa (2), Niger (1), Imo (1), Ebonyi (1), Rivers
(1), Enugu (1).”