Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State has directed the lockdown of Malumfashi Local Government Area by 7 a.m. as from May 7.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa, made this knpwn in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday in Katsina.
He said that the lockdown followed receipt of some results from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which confirmed that some persons tested positive to COVID-19 in the area.
Inuwa said that the order was also in line with the decision already taken by the state government and other stakeholders to shutdown any local government area where COVID-19 cases were established.
He, therefore, warned people of the area to stay at home as security agents would be deployed to ensure total compliance in order to curtail the spread of the pandemic.
Inuwa said that the COVID-19 committee would identify some pharmaceuticals, grains and essential commodities stores in the area that would provide skeletal services to the needy.
According to him, the decision is taken in the best interest of people of Malumfashi local government area and humanity at large.
The SSG urged people of the state to strictly adhere to the guidelines of health experts against the spread of the Novel COVID-19 virus.
He also urged them to continue to pray to Almighty Allah to bring an end to the pandemic.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government has so far shutdown 10 out of the 34 local government areas in the state due to the pandemic.
The affected LGAs are Katsina; Batagarawa; Daura; Dutsinma; Safana; Mani; Jibia; Kankia; Musawa; and Malumfashi.
The state has about 75 cases of COVID-19 with six persons discharged while five persons had died from the disease.