Confusion and fear held sway yesterday in Kano as the government and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) presented conflicting figures on the coronavirus disease cases in the state.

At 10:25 a.m. on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health announced nine confirmed cases through its official twitter handle. Later at about 11:55 p.m., the state government announced a death case and 11 additional positive cases, putting the total figure of people infected with the virus at 21.

But the NCDC announced 16 confirmed cases and zero case of death on the same Wednesday.The confusion worsened as NCDC did not change the figures on its official COVID-19 control chart by yesterday morning, causing fear for the residents, The Guardian reports.

Reacting to the development, a consultant community physician with Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Isa Abubakar, who explained the NCDC guidelines on the release of COVID-19 results, alleged that Kano was not complying with the rule.

Abubakar expressed worry that a lack of synergy between the state rapid response task force on COVID-19 and NCDC in the release of result could lead to the breach of public trust.