Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
The Presidential Technical Team deployed to Kano to support the state committee in upscaling its response to COVID-19, on Sunday, said coronavirus is responsible for the mass deaths recorded in Kano State recently. Leader of the team, Dr Nasiru Sani Gwarzo, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Kano during the official presentation and handing over of the mobile testing laboratory donate by Aliko Dangote Foundation to the state government. He explained that the recent spike in deaths in the state was as a result of coronavirus. Dr Gwarzo said after the verbal autopsy and test carried out, it had been established that COVID-19 is the cause of most of the deaths.
Part of the terms of reference given to the team by President Muhammadu Buhari was to unravel the real cause of the reported unprecedented daily deaths being recorded in the State. According to Gwarzo: “With the preliminary report, most of the deaths recorded of recent and test carried out indicated that coronavirus is the cause. “Hence, before the final report which would be ready in the next one week or few days, it is necessary for people of the state to wake up from their slumber that this is a serious issue at hand.” The Kano State government was denying the mysterious deaths being recorded within the state capital. But residents of the city continue to live in fear as more burials take place daily. This led to President Buhari to declare a total lockdown of the State last week while also sending in a technical team to find out the reason for the mass deaths. Kano presently has the second highest COVID-19 cases in the country after Lagos State.
