A nationwide alarm sounded on Friday as an Italian man who has been confirmed as Nigeria’s first coronavirus case after arriving from Milan was in the country for almost two full days before being isolated.
The foreigner was reported to have travelled through Lagos and visited Ogun State.
In Ogun State, he was at Lafarge, a cement company, for a day where he interacted with several people, 28 of whom have been identified and quarantined by the government.
There are greater fears, however, of a national crisis following hints that the quarantined people may have also interacted with persons in the cement company which has clientele across Nigeria.
Several state governments addressed news conferences on Friday declaring that their states were at alert to combat any discovery of cases of the disease in their states.
There were also reports of a scramble for hand sanitiser in Lagos and adjoining states by residents who wanted to be safe from the disease.
A man who claimed to have driven the Italian from the airport to a posh hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, was also isolated on Friday by the authorities.
The case, the first in sub-Saharan Africa, has prompted a scramble by Nigerian authorities to try to “meet and observe” all passengers who arrived on the same flight as the man and to identify the places he visited before being hospitalised.
“We have started working to identify all the contacts of the person since he entered Nigeria and even those who were with him on the aircraft,” Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, told reporters on Friday in Abuja.
Lagos, with 20 million people, is the biggest city in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.
Authorities fear the virus could spread quickly in a region where health systems are already overburdened.
The Italian, whose country has been hit harder by the virus than any other in Europe, arrived on February 24 on a Turkish Airlines flight that had a connection in Istanbul, said Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi.
After spending the night in a hotel near the airport, he went on February 25 to his place of work at Ewekoro in neighbouring Ogun State and stayed there until he developed a fever and body aches on the afternoon of February 26, Abayomi told a news conference.
He was then transferred to a high containment facility in Yaba, Lagos State.
Ehanire said the infection was confirmed on February 27 by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and that the man was now quarantined but doing well.
Turkish Airlines did not immediately comment on the case. There are no confirmed cases in Turkey.
Officials from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) headed to Lagos to help address the case, and have activated its national emergency operations centre.
Ehanire said Nigeria was improving its readiness to control and contain the coronavirus, which was first reported in China.
The World Health Organisation has said that it already has experts on the ground in Nigeria, which it identifies as one of 13 “high priority” countries in Africa.
Ehanire said China had been working closely with Nigerian authorities and had sent a treatment guide.
Schools and offices in Lagos provided hand sanitiser to people entering buildings on Friday.
“There is a run on suppliers at the moment for hand sanitiser and masks,” said Andrew Garza, chief operating officer of Lifestores Healthcare, a Lagos-based health technology company that provides inventory services to local pharmacies.
Garza said some stocklists had sold out of hand sanitiser.
Where it was still available, a pack of six 500 millilitre bottles had risen to around N22,000 on Friday, up from N4,700 the day before.
Most Nigerians live on less than $2 a day.
We’ve identified those who had contact with coronavirus patient, says Lafarge
Lafarge Africa Plc confirmed that the coronavirus-infected Italian visited its plant in Ewekoro, Ogun State.
A spokesperson of the company, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
She said all those who had direct contact with the Italian, whose identity was not stated, had been identified.
The statement reads: “The Lagos State government has reported a first case of n-COVID19 (coronavirus) in Nigeria. The individual concerned works for a vendor that provides services to Lafarge Africa Plc in Ogun State.
“As a business, we have immediately identified the persons who had direct contact with the concerned individual. We have equally initiated isolation, quarantine and disinfection protocol.
“We thank the exemplary leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health, Ogun and Lagos state governments for swiftly providing response and testing facilities and we are working in full cooperation with all local authorities.
“Lafarge Africa is also working in close partnership with International SOS, our medical service provider, a leading global health company.
“Health and Safety remains a core value at Lafarge Africa and we intend to leverage this strength at this critical time.”
We’ve identified 28 persons with contact with coronavirus patient –Ogun govt
THE Ogun State government said that 28 persons who were in contact with the Italian national infected with coronavirus have been identified and quarantined.
Governor Dapo Abiodun, who made this disclosure on Friday at a news conference held in Abeokuta, said the affected people would remain in quarantine for the next 14 days.
The governor, flanked by his Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker and Special Adviser on Communications, Remmy Hazzan, noted that the government would continue with line listing of those who had contact with the 28 people.
Abiodun said the company visited by the Italian had been shut down while two isolation centres had been put in place within the premises.
The governor stated that part of measures to contain the virus was the establishment of a disease surveillance centre in each of the 20 local government areas of the state.
He expressed concern over the time it would take the state to convey test samples of any suspected case from Ogun to the Bio-Security Centre in Lagos, thereby necessitating the upgrade of the isolation unit at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, as containment facility centre.
Abiodun pointed out that Ogun and Lagos states would work together alongside the Federal Ministry of Health to upgrade the facility.
He appreciated the National Centre for Disease Control for paying utmost attention to the state since the case was reported, adding that officials of the Federal Ministry of Health were already on the ground in the state.
The governor said the state government had distributed items to all health facilities in the state for the protection of the workers.
According to him, the government, which is deploying a lot of resources to fight the virus, is sharing an application with health officials to help them in identifying infected persons.
“There is no cause for panic. We are on top of the situation. I am appealing to our people to improve on their personal hygiene. You should not hesitate to alert any nearest health facility in case you identified anyone with coronavirus symptoms,” he added.
Sanwo-Olu allays fears
Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo- Olu, on Friday, confirmed that the state recorded its first case of coronavirus but assured that the government was on top of the situation as the patient who arrived in the country about four days ago, had been put in isolation centre in the Yaba area of the state.
Sanwo-Olu gave this assurance while addressing newsmen at the State House, Marina, saying that already, contacts that the patients might have met were being traced.
The governor disclosed that the patient developed the symptoms relating to the disease in Ogun State where he went to do business and had to be brought to Lagos where he tested positive upon which he was taken to isolation centre for conferment.
Governor Sanwo- Olu, who gave the address in company of Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, his Information and Strategy counterpart, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, among others, however, declared that the patient was now in stable condition as “he is not having respiratory problem which might prove contagious.”
The governor, while urging Nigerians not to panic but go about their businesses without fear, implored them to observe proper and personal hygiene to be able to avoid contracting the disease.
“We should observe proper and personal hygiene. We will continue to advise Nigerians to keep personal hygiene, wash their hands properly, move away from somebody found coughing and sneezing often,” he said.
Suspected coronavirus patient in Oyo tested negative –Govt
OYO State Commissioner of Health, Dr Bashir Bello, on Friday, disclosed that investigation into the suspected case of coronavirus in the state showed that the patient contracted neither coronavirus nor Lassa fever.
At a news conference in Ibadan on the state’s preparedness for coronavirus, Bello said the suspected case was earlier quarantined but his health was improving.
While recognising the proximity of Lagos, which recorded the country’s first confirmed case, to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Bello said the state had deployed adequate resources to its facilities in case of unforeseen circumstances.
According to him, although the state has no recorded case of coronavirus yet, a quarantine facility had been set up at the Army Barracks, Odogbo, Ojoo.
Noting that all state health facilities had been put on high alert, he implored private health facilities to also have a high index of suspicion for all cases of unexplainable fever and upper respiratory infections.
The commissioner advised residents of the state to prioritise regular hand washing with soap and water and ensure that anyone with fever is promptly taken for medical attention.
He also urged residents to reduce frequency of face touching, regularly disinfect surfaces and keep a distance from anyone sneezing or coughing.
“As for the suspected case, the person is now improving. We now that a case will have to be taken into stud and it was discovered that it is nothing related to either coronavirus or Lassa fever.
“What we saw at Oyo was nothing near Lassa or coronavirus. We are ready as we don’t know who would have travelled in and out of Ibadan.
“For the least symptoms of respiratory distress, we give them that maximum attention and we treat it like a case. A single case is considered an epidemic. That is why with the single case in Lagos, all other neighbouring states are on high alert.
“What we are trying to do is that going by our proximity to Lagos and the high level of transaction between these two urban centres, we are being very prepared because no one can tell.
“There is freedom of movement enshrined in the constitution and we cannot, for this reason, restrict movement of individuals. I wish to reassure the people of the state that there is currently no outbreak of coronavirus in the state,” Bello said.
Osun inaugurates committee on coronavirus
Osun State government, on Friday, inaugurated a committee on coronavirus in a bid to ensure effective preparation against the disease.
Speaking during the inauguration of the committee on Friday at the Ministry of Health, the deputy governor, Mr Benedict Alabi, said “we need the cooperation of everyone on preventive measures against coronavirus.
He explained that “this committee is saddled with the coordination of all activities, identification of suspected cases and to ensure confinement of confirmed cases. This is to show that we are committed to the health of the citizenry.”
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Rafiu Isamotu, however, clarified that “there is no case of coronavirus in Osun. We are only trying to be proactive with the setting up of this committee.”
He said: “We are collaborating with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant stakeholders in the health sector. We have also put in place measures in case of any eventuality. We have created a dedicated a toll free number of 293 which can be dialled in case of suspected case.
“We started preparing about 26 days by beaming surveillance light on prone areas such as mining sites, where we have Chinese. We have also stepped up campaigns through public awareness in public places such as mosques and churches, including motor parks. We have gotten all that is required to contain and prevent coronavirus. People should imbibe hand washing as part of preventive measures.”
Lagosians shouldn’t panic –Speaker
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, called for calm among residents of the state following the detection of the first case of coronavirus brought in by an Italian.
Obasa said the need by Lagos residents not to panic over the incident stemmed from the fact that the state government had always been proactive as regards safety of lives.
According to the Speaker, prior to the confirmation of the first case of coronavirus in Lagos, the state government had kept its antennae alert and had constantly enlightened the people concerning the health concern.
“Even though it is the most populous city in the country, Lagos State has always anticipated and taken steps ahead of events by equipping its medical facilities and making sure disease control centres are up-to-date with issues related to their field. This is why residents of the state should remain calm at this time.
“I can assure you that the executive arm of government is not relaxed and will continue with its concerted efforts to nip this concern in the bud.
“Be assured also that the legislative arm of the state government will do all within its powers to help the executive curtail the ailment since, as fortune would have it, we only have one recorded case,” Obasa said.
He urged the residents to support the state government to achieve its set goals by adhering to every instructions announced by the authorities “on how to take charge of our health, which is very important at this time.”
He said, “We are told to always wash our hands, stay a distance from those who are sneezing and coughing as well as other such simple instructions.”
While calling for inspection to also commence at the nation’s sea ports, he urged residents to promptly report suspected cases.
Delta places health institutions on red alert
Following the reported case of coronavirus in Lagos, the Delta State government has placed all health institutions and disease control centres on red alert in readiness for any possible outbreak of the disease in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, at a press conference in Asaba on Friday, said the state had switched from watch mode to alert mode since the Lagos case was discovered.
Delta is among the five high-risk states and Abuja for the airborne disease because of the availability of seaports and airport, adding that the state was prepared to curtail the disease in the event of an outbreak.
According to him, the team that successfully managed Lassa fever had built enough capacity and shown commitment to address any health challenge.
Ononye declared that the seaports in Warri, Sapele, Koko and Ogharra had been designated as holding centres for any possible outbreak, adding that all hospitals across the state had also been mandated to designate an isolation area for any case of CONVID-19.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, advised residents not to worry as coronavirus is not a death sentence, adding that the fatality rate is 2.3 per cent.
“It is not as bad as Ebola, and we were able to deal with Ebola. As a state, we maintain international borders because of the airport and seaports, and the disease is coming from outside unlike Lassa fever.
“We have started screening at Asaba Airport but we want to urge our people not to panic, they should go about their lawful businesses without entertaining fears,” Aniagwu said.
The Incident Manager, Delta State Response Management Centre, Dr Anne Ojimba, said 82,294 coronavirus cases had so far been recorded globally with 2,804 deaths recorded.
Kaduna
Kaduna state government has is set to set up Rapid Response Mechanism against COVID-19 popularly known as CORONA virus.
The state Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe Friday afternoon engaged with staff of the state Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Infectious Disease Control Centre (IDCC) to see how they would response in the case of an outbreak.
Facebook to work with Nigeria to check misleading reports
The social networking site, Facebook, has pledged to partner with the Federal Government to check the spread of fake news and disinformation in the wake of the outbreak of the coronavirus in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who announced this at a news briefing in Abuja on Friday, said it was obvious that the purveyors of fake news would scale up their act to create panic and spread disinformation, following the confirmation of the disease in Nigeria.
“We know that at times like this, purveyors of fake news and disinformation usually ramp up their acts. We are therefore urging Nigerians not to fall for the antics of purveyors of fakes news and disinformation
“Fortunately, Facebook is working with us in this regard. They have asked Nigerians to report any false or misleading report on Facebook and Instagram pages so they can immediately bring them down.
“They have also assured us that they are taking pre-emptive action to remove any false or harmful messages about this epidemic and public health in Nigeria 24/7. All that Nigerians are required to do is to flag any false or misleading report on the epidemic and Facebook will remove any such report,” he said.
The minister said media agencies of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture like the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Voice of Nigeria (VON) had been directed to intensify their ongoing sensitisation and enlightenment campaigns to arm Nigerians with the necessary information to stay well.
He said measures being taken by the agencies include enlightenment jingles on radio and television, up-to-date reports on the efforts being made by Nigerian health authorities to ensure proper screening at the nation’s gateways and also handle possible cases, continued airing of documentaries on the disease by the NTA and SMS sensitisation messages being sent to Nigerians by NAN.
Alhaji Mohammed said the National Orientation Agency (NOA), with its wide reach (offices in all the 774 local governments), is pushing the various sensitisation/enlightenment programmes to all the nooks and crannies of the country by translating the campaign to the major indigenous languages to expand their reach.
He added that features on the disease (prevention, treatment, etc) are also being written and disseminated.
The minister, therefore, appealed to Nigerians not to panic, as the government is well-equipped to detect and handle any possible case or cases.
No travel ban despite confirmation of coronavirus in Nigeria –Health minister
The Federal Government declared on Friday that it would not issue travel ban from China or any other highly affected countries as it confirmed the first case of coronavirus disease in the country.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, also said the government had already commenced contact tracing on the patient, an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan to Lagos on Tuesday.
The minister said the government would not consider travel ban for now because it was working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and that the organisation had not given such a directive.
Until such directive comes from the WHO, Dr Osagie emphasised that the government would not consider it or effect such a ban.
He asked Nigerians not to panic as the government and its partners would do everything to contain the spread of the disease.
He urged the citizens not to abuse social media by indulging in spreading false information.
“I wish to assure all Nigerians that have we have been beefing up our preparedness capabilities since the first confirmation of cases in China, and we will use all the resources made available by the government to respond to this case,’ he said.
He reminded Nigerians that most people who become infected may experience only mild illness and recover easily, but added that it can be more severe in others, particularly the elderly and persons with other underlying chronic illnesses.
He advised that all Nigerians take care of their health and maintain hand and respiratory hygiene to protect themselves and others, including their families.
The minister charged Nigerians to take certain precautions, which include: Regularly and thoroughly wash of hands with soap and water, and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
FAAN on emergency mock exercise
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has alerted the public to an ongoing emergency simulation exercise at the Murtala Mohammed Airport.
The agency, in a statement by its image maker, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, informed passengers, airlines and the public about the exercise.
The exercise, which is an operational requirement of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for aerodromes, according to FAAN, is aimed at ascertaining the level of preparedness of the airport in real emergency situations.
The agency, however, appealed to the public, especially those residing around the airport not to entertain any fear, describing the exercise as only a drill.
Don’t panic, Atiku tells Nigerians
Former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, advised Nigerians not to panic over the recorded case of coronavirus in the country.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, Atiku declared that Nigeria would defeat the disease as witnessed in the case of Ebola virus in 2014.
“Nigerians must not panic, whether at government or individual levels. We have defeated Ebola before and we can defeat this present predicament.
“Now that Nigeria has had its first confirmed case of coronavirus infestation via a citizen of Italy, who visited Lagos and Ogun states, I would want to offer my patriotic counsel to the government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari on how best to tackle this issue
“We must call upon our experience with the wild Ebola virus, of which we were the first nation in the world to defeat that scourge in 2014,” he said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain said with unity of purpose and determination of Nigerians, the nation would defeat the virus.
“Nigeria needs firm and decisive actions to prevent an escalation of the scourge. Recently, we closed our borders as an act against economic sabotage. Perhaps now is the time to temporarily halt flights to and from any nation with a prevalence of this scourge. It is more important to secure human lives than to secure an economy. We also need to invest in early detection facilities at our airports.
“This crisis is an opportunity to show that we are first and foremost Nigerians, and that we have no other country than our own dear fatherland, which we must work together to keep healthy and secure,” the former nation’s number two man said.
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