Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state has ordered the entire Limawa community to be quarantined day after Coronavirus positive case was recorded within the sprawling area.
Limawa is a suburb in Minna, Niger state capital where the first COVID-19 was recorded on Friday.
The community is less than 500 residents.
Governor Bello gave the quarantine order on Saturday in a press briefing after expanded executive council meeting on the first covid-19 case in the state.
He said, “This decision has become necessary because the index case patient must have had contact with someone as he entered the community.
“Although his family was said to have refused him into the house before calling in the authorities, he may have entered a car or have contact with other members of the community during exchange of greetings.”
He said that it has become imperative for government to closely monitor the people of the community for 14 days to ascertain their status.
He announced total lockdown of the state with a 24 hours dawn-to-dusk curfew.
He said persons on essential services would be tested at borders before being allowed to enter the state.
He said the state Ministry of Justice and the police have been mandated to prosecute offenders of the lockdown orders while appealing for the cooperation of citizens.
