By SANI IBRAHIM PAKI, Kano

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has ordered the reopening of football viewing centres in Kano State.

For the second time in one week, Nigeria on Thursday broke its record of the highest daily toll of new COVID-19 cases in the country with 681 new confirmed cases.

The country had on June 9 recorded 663 new cases, a figure, which as of the time it was announced, was the highest daily toll. As of Thursday, Kano has 1,048 confirmed cases.

The governor gave the order as major leagues across Europe resume. La Liga restarted on Thursday and will finish on July 19, with each team playing their remaining 11 matches over just 39 days.

The English Premiership will also be back on June 17.

Ganduje announced the decision when the leadership of Soccer Viewing Centres Association, Kano State chapter, paid him a courtesy call at his office, on Friday. The association urged the governor to ease the lockdown order for the Centres.

The governor, who granted the request, also donated Forty Thousand (40,000) face masks for distribution at viewing centres in the state.

“It is in line with our decision to see that our economy bounces back, through reinvigorating commercial and other business activities in the state, that I have directed all viewing centres to be re-opened from today,” the governor was quoted in a statement by Abba Anwar, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.

He urged them that as they gather youth in their viewing centres, they must make sure that they use it as a platform to create awareness among them on ways to help tame the pandemic. The state chairman of the association, Sharu Rabi’u Ahlan commended governor Ganduje’s effort in curtailing the spread of the virus in the state.

“Your Excellency on behalf of all our members we are appreciative of your unrelenting effort to human development, especially youth, in the state.

“We are grateful for the face masks His Excellency gave us. And we promise to abide by all the protocols Sir.

“Our members are always supportive of your policies. And we are in good working relationship with the state Ministry of Information and the state Censorship Board,” he said. (Daily Trust)

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