COVID-19: Niger suspends schools, public gatherings

From Mathew Jwantu, Minna

The Niger State Government has suspended all schools – Public and Private, including Tertiary Institutions across the State to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Also suspended are public gatherings, says a statement issued on Thursday by the Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim.

The closure of schools for a period of thirty days is, according to the statement, effective from Monday, 23rd March, 2020, while Public gatherings close immediately.

“This is part of Government’s deliberate efforts to contain the global spread of Coronavirus Pandemic,” says the statement.

The Niger State Commissioner for Health and Hospital Management, Dr. Mohamned Sidi, had on Wednesday said state had put necessary measures to prevent the disease from reaching the State.

According to him, the 25 Local government had been provided with isolation wards and disease control centres to report all suspected outbreaks, not just coronavirus.

In addition, Dr. Sidi said trained personnel had been placed on red alert across the state.

He however clarified that a Pakistani worker earlier rumoured to have died of COVID-19 was confirmed to have died of cardiac arrest.

He explained that the deceased was a truck driver who had not travelrd out for over one year.

Dr. Sidi also dispelled rumors that a patient had died of the disease at the Minna general hospital.

The patient according to him had been sick for a different ailment and was admitted for weeks.