Nigeria may restrict incoming flights over coronavirus
•Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire
By NKECHI ONYEDIKA-UGOEZE, Abuja
Following the record of the third case of coronavirus disease in the country, the Nigerian government is set to unveil further actions to safeguard its citizens.
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, while briefing journalists on the latest case of coronavirus in the country on Tuesday, disclosed that the Presidential Taskforce on Coronavirus will meet and make further announcements.
“With regard to banning flights into Nigeria or social activities and festivals, I will provide an update after the deliberations of the Inter-Ministerial,” Ehanire said in a statement.
Nigeria has recorded three cases since the global outbreak of the virus. Two of the three cases involved persons who flew into the country from Europe – Italy and the United Kingdom.
One of the patients, whom the government said has now fully recovered, had contact with the first coronavirus patient in Nigeria.
The latest case is a 30-year-old Nigeria national, who returned from a short visit to the United Kingdom on Friday, March 13 2020.
Already, intensive contact tracing has begun, to help identify all persons who the patient has been in contact with since her return.
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said that after returning to Nigeria, the lady observed a 14-day self-isolation but subsequently developed symptoms of fever and cough on Monday, March 16 and called the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) tollfree call line, to report her condition.
He noted that officials from the Lagos State Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) were immediately dispatched to her home to collect samples, which upon testing came out positive for the coronavirus.
“The lady is currently at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Yaba, where she has remained clinically stable and is responding to treatment,” Ehanire said.
“We expect the number to be small, because of her sensible decision to go into self-isolation from the time of her arrival.
“We commend her for following the recommended guidelines to the letter. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) will continue to assess the situation and adjust response accordingly. The inaugural meeting of the Presidential Taskforce on Coronavirus will hold later today.” (The Guardian)
