CORONAVIRUS SPREADS TO ABUJA

3 Cases Confirmed in FCT, 7 More in Lagos FG Shuts All Airports to Int’l Flights FCT Restricts Gathering at Worship Centres Italian Patient Discharged from Lagos Hospital

By Ojoma Akor, Terkula Igidi, Chris Agabi & Abubakar Sadiq Isah (Abuja), Abdullateef Aliyu, Risikat Ramoni & Eugene Agha (Lagos), Habibu Umar Aminu (Katsina), Ibrahim Musa Giginyu (Kano), Rakiya A. Muhammad (Sokoto), Aliyu M. Hamagam (Birnin Kebbi), Bassey Willie (Yenagoa), Iniabasi Umo (Uyo), Maryam Ahmadu-Suka (Kaduna), Jude Aguguo Owuamanam, (Owerri), Ibrahim Hamza Muhammad (Laffia)

The Federal Ministry of Health has confirmed 10 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria. The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said in a statement yesterday that there were three new confirmed cases in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and seven new confirmed cases in Lagos State, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to 22.

The minister said the three cases in the FCT were being treated at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) while the seven new cases in Lagos were being treated at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Yaba.

All 10 new cases are Nigerian nationals, nine of them have travel history to Canada, France, Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom.

They returned to the country in the past one week, the minister said, adding that all 10 new cases have mild to moderate symptoms and are currently receiving treatment.

“The 10th case is a close contact of a previously confirmed case. As of the 21st of March 2020, 22 cases have been confirmed, two cases have been discharged and there has been no death from COVID-19 in Nigeria,” he said.

He said the federal government remained committed to working with states to provide optimal care for all confirmed cases in the country.

In addition, he said contact tracing was ongoing to identify all persons who have been in contact with the new confirmed cases.