Coronavirus spreads to Abuja
Italian patient discharged
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwoolu yesterday said the first patient of Coronavirus in Nigeria, the Italian who flew into the country via Istanbul, has tested negative and certified fit to go home. He was discharged on Friday night.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, told journalists that it was after he tested negative twice that he was discharged.
All his contacts had been traced and only one tested positive. The man, a Nigerian who works with Lafarge, was discharged some days after due to his quick response to treatment. He tested negative twice before being allowed to return to Ogun State where he resides.
All other new cases according to the commissioner are being attended to at the Mainland infectious disease hospital in Yaba, Lagos.
FG shuts all airports to international flights
The Federal Government yesterday announced the closure of all airports to international flights from Monday, March 23 to April 23.
The Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Musa Nuhu, disclosed this in a letter to all foreign airlines and operators.
This came after the government initially restricted flights only to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
But domestic flights will continue to operate normally, the government said.
In the letter, the director general said emergency and essential services were exempted from the restrictions.
“Henceforth, all airports in Nigeria are closed to all incoming international flights with the exception of emergency and essential flights. Domestic flights will continue normal operations at all airports.
“All airlines are required to submit passenger manifest to Port Health Authorities prior to arrival of flights into Nigeria,” he said.
Railway offers conditional services
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) rescinded its earlier decision to shut down train services nationwide.
The corporation had in a statement by its spokesman, Mr.
Yakub Mahmood, announced the shutdown of all passenger train services with effect from Monday due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It said the board and management of the corporation approved the shutdown which affects all train services including Abuja-Kaduna train. However, in a message sent to our correspondent late yesterday, Mahmood said the board and management reviewed the situation and decided to provide passenger train services with conditions.
According to him, passengers would provide full names, address, date of birth and means of identification.
“We enjoin all passengers to please co-operate with any other measures put in place to protect ourselves from ourselves,” the statement said.
Our correspondent learnt that the decision to rescind the earlier announcement was informed by the intervention of some highly placed Nigerians who patronize the Abuja-Kaduna train.
FCTA restricts gatherings at worship centres
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has restricted the number of worshippers at churches and mosques to a maximum of 50 persons as part of measures to halt the spread of coronavirus.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Media and Strategic Communications, Malam Sani Abubakar, implored religious leaders and worshippers to comply with laid down health protocols as stipulated by the relevant health authorities for the control of the coronavirus disease while intensifying prayers for the safety of all Nigerians.
“Congregations at places of worship are hereby restricted to a maximum of 50 persons at any given time. This measure also applies to social gatherings at event centers, football viewing centers and night clubs, amongst others,” part of the statement read.
It further explained that the restriction was to make the tracking of suspected cases easier for health authorities, stressing that the decision was based on the advice and guidance of public health authorities, the Presidential Task Force for the Control of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID 19), as well as the outcomes of the National Economic Council meeting held on Thursday, March 19, 2020 and the FCT Administration’s meeting with religious leaders across the territory.
The statement urged residents not to engage in panic buying and always seek information about the disease from the FCT Public Health Department and other agencies of government.
Medical directors want random tests in households
The Guild of Medical Directors (GMD) has called on the federal government to introduce random tests for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in households where foreign trips have just been made.
Prof. Femi Dokun-Babalola, the president of the guild, said in a statement yesterday that there was need for more robust protocol for the detection of cases because it was possible that more cases of COVID 19 may have entered Nigeria un-detected.
He said similar measures were taken in Ghana, Sudan, South Africa, and some other countries in Africa.
Prof. Dokun-Babalola said enhanced measures would go a long way in further protecting Nigerians from the ravages of COVID-19.
He said hundreds of cases were found in African countries, many of which were either returnees from countries with significant endemicity or primary contacts of such returnees.
He said Nigerians who had come from China, South Korea, Europe in general and in particular Italy, Spain, Norway and Sweden should be quarantined for 14 days as required by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Nigerians coming in from the UK in particular should all be tested beyond the usual temperature check, and advised to go on quarantine for fourteen days at home if negative,” he said.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire had Friday said that the country was experiencing an influx of imported COVID19 cases by travelers, including returning Nigerians.
He said eight of the 12 cases as at Friday were travelers from Italy, United Kingdom, United States of America and France. FIRS debunks claim on staff The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has debunked claims in the media its staff tasted positive to coronavirus.
A statement signed by Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, the Director, Communications and Liaison Department, described the report as fake.
“The service hereby states unequivocally that no member of staff of the FIRS has tested positive to COVID-19 as being peddled on social media.
“The service can confirm that a member of staff who went to pick his wife from the airport following her return from a trip abroad is currently and voluntarily observing the federal government advisory of self-isolation alongside his spouse at the couple’s home since Monday.
“Both husband and wife have not visited any FIRS office or event since the wife retuned to Nigeria last Sunday.
“More importantly, both husband and wife have only been in self-isolation for five days and have not tested positive to Covid19,” the statement said.
Returnee FUDMA lecturer tests negative
The Acting Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), Dr Babangida
The first patient of Coronavirus in Nigeria, the Italian who flew into the country via Istanbul, has tested negative and certified fit to go home. He was discharged on Friday night.