Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa on Monday said that the state received an additional seven Almajiris, bringing to 1,345, the total number of such children repatriated to Jigawa.
Badaru said in Dutse that the seven children were repatriated from Adamawa.
The governor said that samples of the Almajiris were taken for COVID-19 test and returned negative.
According to him, the state had earlier received Almajiris repatriated from Kano, Kaduna, Gombe and Nasarawa states.
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”I said last week that we were making progress with the Almajiris repatriated to our state and that only two were still in the isolation centre as the rest had been taken to their parents.
“However, we received an additional seven Almajiris from Adamawa last week, bringing the number in isolation centre to nine.
“The samples of these additional seven have returned negative; so, we will make arrangements to hand them back to their parents,” Badaru said.
On the state’s molecular laboratory for COVID-19 testing, the governor said officials of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) were in the state for accreditation of the laboratory.
Badaru hoped that the accreditation would ease diagnostic difficulties and enhance prompt evacuation and treatment of COVID-19 patients.
According to him, the accreditation certificate will soon be issued to the state to commence full operation in the facility.
“Our molecular laboratory for COVID-19 testing is taking shape, as an NCDC team is currently in Dutse for its accreditation.
“Soon, the certificate will be issued to the state to commence full operation in this laboratory.
“You will agree with me that this will go a long way in easing diagnostic difficulties and enhance prompt evacuation and treatment of COVID-19 patients, ” Badaru said.
The governor added that work on the state’s 170-bed additional isolation centre would soon be completed.
Badaru said the centre would be equipped to serve as an additional resource for patients’ management.
“The infrastructural work in our additional isolation centre with 170 beds will be completed in the coming days.
“It will be equipped accordingly to serve as an additional resource for patients’ management.
“With the current infection trend, we are hopeful that we may not require the services of the centre; but we must get ready in case things change suddenly,” Badaru said.