At least 12 health workers have been confirmed to have tested positive for coronavirus in Bauchi State.
At a news conference on Saturday in Bauchi, the State health Commissioner, Dr Aliyu Maigoro disclosed that six of the infected health workers are in Azare, the headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area, while others are in Bauchi, the state capital.
Maigoro said: “As at today, we have 12 medical officers in the whole of Bauchi State who have been infected with COVID-19.
“Six of them are in Azare, headquarters of Katagum Local Government Council of the state, while others are here in Bauchi.
“Let me, however, tell you that we have not recorded any death among these medical workers.”
Meanwhile the deputy Governor of the state, Baba Tela, has said that multiple deaths in Azare were not caused by COVID-19 but “normal and seasonal.”
Meridian spy reported earlier a former member of the House of Representatives from Bauchi State, Ibrahim Baba wrote a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over the “massive outbreak of coronavirus” in Azare town.
The former lawmaker said, in the letter dated May 8, 2020, Azare has recorded over 100 COVID-19 deaths in the last one week, adding that it has resulted in panic and confusion among residents.
Baba therefore appealed to President Buhari to direct the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to visit the town.
But Tela, who is also the state Chairman of the Task Force on COVID-19, stated: “Following investigation of reports that there were multiple deaths of Coronavirus patients in Azare, we only confirmed that only one death of COVID-19 patient was recorded at the FMC, Azare.
“I went to the cemetery to investigate the report of multiple deaths in Azare but I confirmed that it was normal and seasonal deaths.
“We agree that most of the deaths occurred within the same age brackets with those deaths recorded in Kano. The reason is that Kano, Jigawa and Azare have the same peculiarities.”
