Katsina State government has confirmed ordering the sealing off of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Emir of Daura’s palace over the ravaging coronavirus.

At least six persons from the palace were reported to have died last weekend alone of COVID-19 apart from unidentified number currently under quarantine and at various isolation centres in the state.

Briefing reporters at the Government House on Monday, Governor Aminu Bello Masari explained government’s decision to shut down the palace arguing that, “we got some positive cases of the coronavirus disease at the palace so we decided to take control.

“So far, we have taken samples of 89 persons from the palace. You know that the palace is like a government house with a large concentration of people.”

Giving a breakdown of figures over recently confirmed COVID -19 cases in the state, Masari regretted that a total of 14 medical staff from various health facilities in the area had been confirmed positive.

The governor said that he was worried at what he described as the alarming spread of the coronavirus in the state in spite of the lockdown imposed on the area.

“The lockdown does not seem to be so effective so we must design ways to strengthen the lockdown. This is because in spite of the lockdown we had 23 new cases in Katsina town alone under 24 hours.”

• Text (excluding headline) courtesy of Daily Sun.