Borno Ready to Combat COVID-19, Says Health Commissioner

As the number of cases of the COVID-19 continues to spread across Nigeria, Borno State Government on Thursday said it has established an isolation centre.

Addressing the media, the state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Salihu Kwaya-Bura, said the erstwhile isolation centre for Lassa fever which can comfortably accommodate 100 patients has been dedicated to quarantine cases of the virus.

The commissioner said the decision was made in order not to be caught unaware should the pandemic, which has created headaches for health managers worldwide, berth in the state.

Kwaya-Bura noted that the state is proud to announce that after five weeks without a new case of Lassa fever, the epidemic was over and the centre dedicated for isolation of those affected can now be converted for use of coronavirus.

He said two cases of Lassa fever were discovered in the state with one person lost to the fever while others have fully recovered with no new case in the last five months, which has signalled the end of the epidemic.

Kwaya-Bura, however, said the monitoring is still on as the state would not want any relapse.

He said there is no need for residents of the state to panic as there is no reported case of coronavirus in the state, promising that all necessary measures have been put in place to check the disease.

Kwaja-Bura said all measures have been put in place to combat coronavirus in all public places, saying materials, equipment, personnel are at red alert to be deployed at any point in time to fight the pandemic.