THE Kano State Government has commenced investigations to ascertain the actual cause(s) of mysterious deaths that befell the state with rapid increase of deaths in recent days, however maintained its position that the deaths were unrelated with the dreaded Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammad Garba made the position in a statement that Gov. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is eagerly waiting for the final report so as to arrive at a sound conclusion alongside take necessary actions, and therefore urged the public not to panic as authorities are on top of the situation.

“The state government acknowledges recent deaths in Kano, but it is on top of the situation. We have begun investigation to unravel the remote causes of the deaths.

“The investigation into the cause of the deaths is still ongoing, but preliminary report of the state’s Ministry of Health indicates that the deaths are not connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Reports from the ministry have shown that most of the deaths were caused by complications arising from hypertension, diabetes, meningitis and acute malaria.

“The state government is concerned over what is happening. The ministry of health is already handling the situation. When they are through with the medical investigation, further actions will be taken. The mystery, or whatever it is, will soon be unraveled,” he said.

The Commissioner added that on account of robust and strict precautionary measures put in place by Governor Ganduje which has demonstrated the zeal and resolve to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state, that the deaths couldn’t have been traced to the dreadful Convid-19.

“The Ganduje administration has been commended from within and outside the state over the proactive measures it took towards curbing the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This explains why Kano, in spite of being the most populace state, did not record a case of the pandemic until lately.

“Though we agree that the situation at hand is very serious, we are not resting on our oars in taking appropriate measures to ensure that people of Kano State protect themselves from the novel COVID-19 pandemic,” he stated.

Garba also stated that the government, through the Kano COVID-19 Fund-Raising Committee, had been making palliatives available to the most vulnerable and the needy in the society adding that the state government has established three Isolation centres where those that had tested positive to COVID-19 are being cared for, while plans are underway to set up two more.

He added that the state government had also rented a hotel where suspected cases were being accommodated just as it collaborates with​ Bayero University, Kano to establish a Testing centre within the institution which he assured the facility would be ready in a couple of weeks.

“The facility will be ready immediately it is certified by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). When it is put to use, our determination to ensure that every suspected case is quickly tested will be enhanced,” he said.

The commissioner stressed that Ganduje had appealed to the Federal Government to urgently fix the NCDC Testing Centre at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital shut down some days ago.

“We have enough medical manpower that can take care of the patients. What we are asking for is financial assistance from the Federal Government and other donors to help sustain the infrastructure and also continue the provision of palliatives,” he said.