No fewer that three commissioners in Gombe state have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
Ibrahim Alhassan, the state Commissioner of Information and Culture in the state, told newsmen during a briefing on Tuesday. He added that five members of the state assembly also tested positive for novel virus.
Alhassan explained that the COVID-19 status of the infected persons was discovered after all 21 commissioners in Gombe and the governor’s aides took the test.
Alhassan also confirmed that the test results of one of the governor’s aides and five members of the Gombe State House of Assembly came back positive.
He said, “We conducted massive tests for all the government functionaries – the commissioners, special advisers, and all the staff of the Government House.
“Out of the 21 commissioners, it is unfortunate that we are having three positive cases. Of the special advisers, we have one positive case.”
“Of the members of the State House of Assembly, we have five positive cases. This is so far, the update within the government cycle,” he added.
The commissioner decried that the pandemic was already within the community and the state has begun to witness community transmission of the disease, stating that the government has resolved to conduct the test for all its workforce.
“Therefore, all hands need to be on deck to see that we fight this pandemic head-on and as of today, permanent secretaries and directors in all the government ministries and agencies are now undergoing the screening (the test),” he stated.
The Chairman of the Task Force on COVID-19 in the state, Professor Idris Muhammad, also gave an update on the outbreak of the disease in Gombe.
He noted that the government has tested 609 people in four days and the results of 63 persons returned positive.
Professor Muhammad also confirmed that the infected members of the executive and legislative arms of government in the state were among the positive cases.
He, therefore, appealed to the residents to be cooperative with the task force in its aggressive approach to curb the community transmission of the disease in the state.
The task force chairman also advised the residents, especially those on essential services to wilfully submit themselves for the test.
According to him, Gombe State has a total of 234 positive cases of COVID-19, out of which 33 patients are active with 134 others discharged, as of 2pm on Tuesday. (Channels TV)
