Borno State has lost six persons to COVID-19 in the last two days bring the death toll to nine, the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Salisu Kwaya-Bura, has said.

According to him, the six persons were lost between Tuesday and Wednesday.

He said the total number of positive cases as at Wednesday stood at 53 with over 160 persons screened from patients and contacts to those who have tested positive.

He said the infection is not limited to Maiduguri and Jere metropolis but has spread to Biu, Dikwa and Pulka.

He disclosed that plan has been concluded to increase the capacity of the isolation centre even as the contact tracing teams have been increased from 15 to 20.

Kwaya-Bura declares eight out of the nine people lost to the pandemic were from premorbid conditions as is the common feature of the disease globally.

The Commissioner of Information, Babakura Abba-Jato also at the daily briefing on COVID-19 on Wednesday disclosed that three Imams that conducted prayers last Friday have been suspended by the appropriate quarters.

He said they were suspended by the Chief Imam of the state and asked not to parade themselves as Imams anymore.

He said:

“These are traditional things, we forwarded their names to those that appointed them and gave them the instrument to practice as Imams.

“They were immediately summoned by the chief Imam of Borno and subsequently suspended and they were asked not to parade themselves as Imams anymore.”