In continuation of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) efforts to ensure it provides the general public with necessary and useful information on Coronavirus, advising government on the proper ways to handle the pandemic in the state and ways people need to follow to protect themselves from the virus, yesterday the CITAD looked at the situation in the state, especially with the regard to movement of people and the lack of activities at the only testing center in the state.
Our findings revealed that still in many places people were not respecting the order given by the state government to stay at home. It could be remembered, that the state government has renewed the lockdown order it imposed in the state on the 17th of April, 2020 after temporarily suspending the order for 16 hours on the 23rd of April, 2020. Our observers have reported that some markets in local areas were partially operating as against the order given by the state government. As at the same time of this report, movement of people in some parts of the state is still ongoing due to absent of security personnel in many areas.
Also the alleged video that is in circulation since last week in the state were some people who claimed to be covid19 patients in the isolation center denying the existence of the virus had really casted doubt in the minds of many people in the state. This requires urgent action from the state government which includes sensitization to do a damage control.
Moreover, the recent issue that dominated the public space this week is the issue of the lack of activities at the only testing center at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. This issue has generated a lot of confusion among the state residents and create mistrust between the people and the state government. Many narratives were attached to the closure of the center. Some people were saying the center was closed due to the misunderstanding between the state government, Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and people managing the center. While others were saying it was due to the inadequacy of the testing material at the center. Our investigation found out that the center was actually closed due to routine fumigation, which by the NCDC standards, all testing centers have to be fumigated after a certain number of tests or number of days. This is a precautionary procedure to dispel the possibility of accumulation of the virus in the testing environment.
CITAD as a concerned stakeholder in this fight is calling on the Kano State Government, People of Kano State and Management of the Testing Center in the state to:
- The state government to provide more security personnel including vigilante group to ensure the enforcement of the order
- The state government to ensure the closure of all markets in the state with expectation of food markets and other essentials items
- The general public to continue adhering to the advices given by health professionals and continue to respect constituted authorities
- The people in charge of the Testing Center at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital to come out and give official explanation on why the center is closed
- The State Government should as a matter of urgency established more testing centres as well as recruitment more qualified, knowledge and experience personnel to manage cases at the isolation centre. Our findings indicate that many of the people recruited and posted there have no experience or training in the management of infectious diseases such COVID and therefore not only a danger to themselves abut also likely to further be another chain for the spread of the virus in the state.
- The state government quickly address the issues the recent rise in the number of deaths in the state by providing explanation to the public what it has done on the matter, what it has discovered and what follow up steps it has taken to assure citizens that government cares about the lifes of the citizens
- The state government to create a platform where citizens will be enlightened on the covid19 and daily update of the situation in the state
- The state government to ensure the payment of workers’ salaries and pensioners entitlements
Ali Sabo
Campaigns and Communication Officer
