• Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health has confirmed one case of Coronavirus, as suspect tested positive and currently on isolation.
• No death has been recorded as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country
• An Italian citizen brought the virus into Nigeria; his identity is yet to be disclosed.
• He entered Lagos, Nigeria on 24th of February from Milan, Italy for a brief business visit. He developed symptoms on 26th February and reported himself to a hospital.
• Contact tracing is already ongoing to know those who came in contact with the Italian National who came in through Turkish airline. There’s a 100-bed isolation centre in Yaba.
• We have not seen the need to ban any flight for now, say the Federal government of Nigeria.
• Nigeria has 4 laboratories with the capacity to test for the virus.
• There is capacity and materials to expand with tents just in case there’s an escalation.
• Lagos Government, Federal Minister of health and NCDC are coordinating this effort and are working together.
• The World Health Organisation in preparation for an eventual importation of the disease had listed 13 Africa countries (Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Morocco, Sudan, Angola, Tanzania, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Tunisia) as having the highest ‘importation risk’.
• The health minister advised that Nigerians should avoid eating bats and rodents and all meat should be cooked adequately.
