27 suspected COVID-19 cases have been discharged from isolation by the Niger state government after they tested negative to the virus.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammad Maikusidi, who discharged the suspected cases at the Social rehabilitation centre in Minna, said that 26 of the cases had contact with a primary suspected case, which made it necessary for the government to isolate all of them.
The primary suspected case had arrived from Lagos sick but boarded a truck to Wushishi in his bid to evade health officials until he was eventually caught.
The Commissioner said the result of the suspected cases came back negative, adding that it was unnecessary to keep them in isolation after they tested negative.
He further explained that the ministry has been receiving signals about cases and active in picking up testing and discharging them when they discover they are negative.
The commissioner said the state has so far attended to 20 signals with seven persons still in Isolation at the centre in Minna with other individuals permitted to be in self-isolation at their homes.
On the index case, Makusidi said that he is stable and receiving treatment at the isolation and treatment centre in General Hospital.
Makunsidi further stated that there is no other positive case in the state, urging residents to wait for the results announced by the appropriate authorities.
He called on the people to desist from disseminating fake news on COVID-19 so as not to create stigma.