The wanton deaths in Kano have links with coronavirus infection, Coordinator of Presidential Task Force set up for Kano on Covid-19, Dr. Sani Gwarzo said on Sunday.
Kano State Government initially denied that the disease was responsible for the disturbing deaths.
However, the state Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje later approved conduct of verbal autopsies to ascertain the cause.
Gwarzo told journalists on Sunday in Kano that investigations so far had shown that COVID-19 is responsible for some of the deaths.
He said the result of the verbal autopsies will be ready in about a week.
He spoke during the official presentation and handing over of the mobile testing laboratory the Aliko Dangote Foundation donated to Kano government.
“Let me inform us that most of the deaths recorded of recent and test carried out showed that coronavirus was the cause,” he said.
“So, before the final report which would be ready in the next one week or few days, it is necessary for people of Kano to wake up from their slumber that this is a serious issue.
“We need to know what is happening we are successful in identifying what the problems are and secondly we are happy on the level of cooperation the private sector and other stake holders.
Many people have come out to support the state we cannot expand our investigation until we are certain.
“We have five cogent reasons to say that the mass death recorded in Kano is associated with coronavirus.”
Gwarzo added that the age of the deceased persons, concentration of the people in one place and test we have constructed indicated element of COVID-19.