The decision of Governor Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Badaru to impose total lockdown in Dutse, the state capital, as confirmed cases soared to 32, has sparked tension.

The governor, who at a press briefing declared that 60 per cent of newly recorded 23 cases were in Dutse, extended lockdown by another two weeks for civil servants.

He said there will be serious enforcement of the use of face masks and hand sanitises in public places.

He said he had received the community report from Hadejia over the increasing number of deaths in the area declaring that government has established a five-man committee to investigate the issue and recommend appropriate actions.

The Committee chaired by Dr Mahmud Abdulwahab with Shehu Mohd, Yusif Hakimi, Shehu Sule, and representative of WHO as members, would submit its reports within three days.

Meanwhile, Lagos Government, yesterday, discharged 60 patients, describing it as the largest number of recovered patients to be so discharged by the state at a go.

The discharge came after similar discharged 14 patients, who tested negative twice for the virus

The state Ministry of Health, on its twitter handle, said those discharged included 40 male and 20 female and that they were all Nigerians.

The government said 31 of the patients were discharged from the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, Yaba; 19 from Ibeju-Lekki and 10 from Eti-Osa (Landmark) Isolation Centres.

“60 more #COVID19 Lagos patients; 20 females and 40 males, all Nigerians were today discharged from our Isolation facilities in Yaba, Ibeju-Lekki & Eti-Osa (Landmark) to reunite with the society.”

It put the number of patients successfully managed and discharged in Lagos at 321. However, some COVID-19 patients, yesterday, staged a protest at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe, destroying some equipment in their ward.

The patients, who were under quarantine, were said to have complained of ill-treatment. Some officials in the hospital pacified them, promising that there would be improvement in their welfare. The state has 96 COVID-19 cases.

It was gathered that while the protest at the hospital was ongoing, some COVID-19 patients at Kwadon Isolation Centre in Yamaltu Deba council also took to the streets lamenting poor treatment.

They were said to have blocked the Gombe/Biu road, chanting anti-government songs. Some of them reportedly went to unknown locations after the protest while others returned to the centre.

One of the patients was heard saying he had been abandoned since officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) brought him to the hospital three days ago.

He said he had not been given drugs and was left on his own alongside some patients admitted to the hospital over COVID-19.

Another claimed only vitamin C drug had been given to him since he got to the centre earlier in the week. (Daily Sun)

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