COVID-19: Nasarawa Govt to convert NYSC camp to isolation centre

Nasarawa Government says it is converting the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Magaji Dan Yamusa Orientation Camp in Keffi Local Government Area of the state to an isolation centre.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Mr Yahaya Ahmed, announced this at a news conference shortly after an expanded review meeting on Coronavirus (COVID-19) held in Lafia on Thursday.

He said that the centre would cater for the high increase of positive cases in the state, especially from Nasarawa West Senatorial Zone.

It was reported that the state recorded 177 confirmed COVID-19 cases, out of which, 87 have been treated and discharged, while 53 persons are receiving treatment.

A total of 30 others are in self-isolation, awaiting transfer to treatment centres, with seven deaths from the virus.

Ahmed said the state government was worried that the number of cases in the state was increasing, with most of them from Nasarawa West Senatorial zone.

He added that isolation centres for treatment of the virus in the zone had been overstretched, given the number of cases.

The commissioner said “from Nasarawa Senatorial zone alone, Karu Local Government has 76 cases, Keffi – 30, Kokona – three, while Nasarawa has five, with none yet in Toto Local Government Area.”

He explained that the high rate of COVID-19 cases from the zone prompted the state government to convert the NYSC camp to an isolation centre to meet the increasing number of positive cases in the zone instead of transferring them to the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Lafia.

“There are 177 positive cases across 10 local government areas, out of the 13 in the state.

“Keana, Wamba and Toto still have zero status of COVID-19, but out of this 177 cases, Akwanga has 15; Awe – 1; Doma – 3; Karu – 76; Keffi – 30; Kokona – 3; Lafia – 24; Nasarawa – 5; Nasarawa-Eggon – 12 and Obi – 8.

“It is clear that Karu Local Government is the epicentre of the state with 76, which is over 40 per cent of the cases we have, followed by Keffi, Lafia, Akwanga and Nasarawa-Eggon,” he said.

He said the conversion of the NYSC orientation camp to an isolation centre would afford the state more space in handling additional cases in the senatorial zone with no need to panic or transfer patients to other places.

Ahmed added that out of the 177 that tested positive in the state, 27 of them are health workers and are currently receiving treatment in isolation centres across the state.

“We do have 27 out of them who are health workers who tested positive. Six from Federal Medical Centre, Keffi; four in DASH, Lafia, two in Nasarawa-Eggon General Hospital, seven in Medical Centre, Mararaba in Karu, five in private health care hospitals in Keffi and three in private health facility in Lafia,” he said.

He also said that the state government had given directive for the immediate closure of some private schools that illegally reopened in some parts of the state without due authorisation to do so.

Mr Abdulkareem Kana, the Commissioner for Justice, explained that the state government had resolved to maintain the current measures put in place to guide against further spread of the virus.

He said “the state government at the end of the meeting resolved that the current measures issued by the governor in proclamation number 99 last two weeks, will remain. In other words, decision taken based on worship and restrictions placed will stand.

“The directive that commercial motorcycle operators should not carry more than one passenger at a time and tricycles cannot carry more than two passengers still remains, while all are advised to wear face masks.

“Also, the curfew in urban areas from 10 p.m., to 4 a.m. will continue,” he said.

Kana then revealed that the state government had resolved to intensify enlightenment campaign on safety steps to avoid spread of the virus.