Coronavirus: 179 contacts on isolation released in Lagos, Ogun ― Prof Abayomi

Lagos State Government on Friday disclosed that all 179 people on isolation who had contact with the index case, an Italian who brought Coronavirus to Nigeria, have been released.

Lagos Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made this disclosure at a news conference while giving an update on the dreaded coronavirus situation in the state.

He said a total of 179 contacts with the Italian were traced, adding that they were let go since they had exceeded the mandatory 14 days isolation, as none of them developed any symptom of the disease.

Of the 179 people who had contact with the index case, 40 of them were quarantined in Ogun State while the remaining were monitored in Lagos State.

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Prof. Abayomi, however, said the index case still remains on admission, noting that “he is perfectly well now, we are only keeping him because he still has some secretion of the virus.”

While saying that test conducted on him showed that he might be negative anytime from now, the commissioner noted that he would be discharged should further test show that he is negative.

“Test shows that anytime from now, he may be negative. If he is negative, we will conduct another test within 48 hours after and if he is still negative, we will set him free.

“We are close to discharging the index case, we want to be sure he poses no danger to the society anymore,” Abayomi stated.

On the Nigerian who was initially tested positive to coronavirus for being in contact with the index case, Abayomi said he had now been tested negative twice and might have been released by now.

“His tests initially showed that he was positive to coronavirus twice and now, he has tested negative to the virus twice on two consecutive tests carried out. The remaining contacts in Ogun and Lagos States remain symptom-free and they have exceeded 14 days surveillance which means that we have been able to interrupt the transmission between the index case and others. The index case and its threat to Nigeria have been eliminated.

“Those isolated in Ogun State have been discharged, in Lagos, we will not follow up with the contacts again because none of them has developed symptoms. We are discharging all,” he said.

On the four children and their teacher quarantined recently, the commissioner disclosed that they had been discharged as they all tested negative to the virus, likewise another man from the US who was earlier quarantined.

Speaking on the next move, Abayomi expressed the belief that “the government will be able to curtail the outbreak by being extremely aggressive,” disclosing that the state government had sent more health personnel to the airport to assist the Federal medical team.