Thirty-one of the people that  tested positive for coronavirus in Jigawa State are almajirai  (street children) sent back to the state  from Kano State, an official has said.

The Chairman,  state Task Force Committee on COVID-19 and Commissioner for Health, Dr Abba Zakari,  made the disclosure while giving an  update on the pandemic in the state on Thursday.

Zakari said, “As  of  yesterday (Wednesday) the NCDC released 23 additional cases. Apart from the 23 cases, we also got 28 almajirai that tested positive and out of 23 announced by the  NCDC, three are almajirai.

“So, out of a total of 51 cases, 31 are almajirai.  Before now we had 118 cases Plus the 51, that is a total of 169 cases.

“Based on the calculation, you will find out that almost 56 per  cent cases that we have here are almajirai and they all were repatriated from Kano.”

He said the state was working with a laboratory in Kaduna to test all almajirai brought in  from other states as part of measures to contain  the spread of the pandemic in the state.

According to him, the state government  has plans  to establish its own testing centre in Dutse.

“We have also selected a new lab that will be built in the  Dutse General Hospital where the equipment will be installed,” the commissioner said.

The pandemic has already spread to eight out of the 27 local government areas of the state.