Plateau Commissioner for Health, Dr Nimkong Lar, says 29 health workers have been infected by COVID-19 in the state.
Lar disclosed this at a news conference on Wednesday in Jos.
According to him, the state has a total of 198 confirmed cases of the virus with 113 discharged and five deaths.
” Update from Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) says Plateau has 168 confirmed cases but results released now confirms we have 198 cases,” he said.
He said the state had closed down a private hospital for two weeks, following its exposure to two COVID-19 patients who were managed for other health conditions.
He said 17 staff of the hospital were confirmed with the disease and had been quarantined.
“We decontaminated the hospital on Tuesday and have closed it down for public safety. We have also taken 17 staff of the hospital to isolation centres for treatment,” he said.
In another development, the State Government has decried the lack of adherence to guidelines for COVID-19 by most individuals and some organisations in the state.
This, it said, followed the relaxation of the lockdown order by Gov. Simon Lalong on June 11.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for information and Communication, Mr Dan Manjang, the government reiterated the compulsory use of face masks by residents in public areas and ban on large social gatherings in the state.
The commissioner said the disregard to adherence to social distancing and non provision of water, soap and sanitisers in entrances of public places, was causing greater risks to COVID-19 infection.
“Anyone found to be violating the COVID-19 guidelines will be arrested and prosecuted while public places will be shutdown and also prosecuted,” he said
He said monitoring teams had been put in place to enforce compliance, while cautioning residents to take personal responsibility for their health and control community transmission of the disease.
