By AYINDE OLAIDE

A journalist working in Bauchi State and 12 medical officers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The state’s Deputy Governor, Mr Baba Tela, who is also the Chairman of the Bauchi State Task Force on COVID-19 and Lassa fever, announced the journalist’s case on Saturday at a news conference at Government House in Bauchi.

The deputy governor, who did not disclose the identity of the journalist, said the journalist belonged to the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Bauchi State.

He advised every journalist in the state to go for test to be sure of their COVID-19 status.

“His Excellency, Gov. Bala Mohammad has asked us to tell you that one of you, a member of correspondents’ chapel has tested positive for coronavirus in the state.

“I would strongly advise you all to go for testing to be sure of your COVID-19 status, if you feel like.

“If you want to carry out the test, we have about two thousand testing kits that we can use for you.

“Just come alone and inform us. We will take your sample for investigation,” the deputy governor said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is the first case of a journalist testing positive for coronavirus in Bauchi State.

Also yesterday, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Aliyu Maigoro, disclosed that 12 medical officers in the state have been infected with coronavirus.

Maigoro made the disclosure at a news conference on Saturday in Bauchi.

He, however, said that no death had been recorded so far amongst all the affected medical officers.

“As at today, we have 12 medical officers in the whole of Bauchi State who have been infected with COVID-19.

“Six of them are in Azare, headquarters of Katagum Local Government Council of the state, while others are here in Bauchi

“Let me, however, tell you that we have not recorded any death among these medical workers,” the commissioner said.

While speaking on patients fleeing isolation centres in some states, Maigoro said the state’s surveillance team had a link with other states, saying this would make it easier to trace and take such people back to isolation centres.

“We have a link between Bauchi and other states; our surveillance team has a link; if you escape, they will give us your contact, which we will use to trace you.

“There is inter-state synergy; we have just apprehended a contact from Taraba State, who came to Bauchi and he is being isolated.

“Wherever you are, once we have your address, we are going to get you, because if we don’t, you are going to infect other people in the community,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state has 117 confirmed cases, with six discharged and 111 active cases. (NAN)

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