Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has confirmed that two out of the three recent suspected cases of Coronavirus identified in Lagos have tested negative, while the result for the last is still being expected.
The minister while updating journalists on the recent development of the COVID-19 case in Nigeria on Friday, noted that the results take some time to come out, but that the country has only one confirmed case.
“As of the three cases, one of them, we are expecting the result; it takes some hours for the results to come out.”
“There were three new suspected cases on March 4, two cases were negative; I repeat that there is only one confirmed case of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Please, disregard all rumours of new cases in Nigeria. Verified news will come from the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC,’’ he said.
“We must go away from the idea of focusing on Chinese or any particular nationality because a case that entered Nigeria, which is the index case is not Chinese. If we are profiling and focusing on the wrong areas, we risk losing the right thinking,” he maintained.
Adding, Dr Ehanire said that authorities have already strengthened the screening of every passenger using the country’s entry-point, noting that soon, passengers departing the country will be screened.
“People should maintain good social distance. We have already strengthened the screening of every passenger that enters this country.”
In his remarks, Dr Clement Peter, the Officer-in-Charge of World Health Organisation (WHO) commended the minister for holding frequent briefings to ensure that Nigerians are kept safe from COVID-19.
Peter said the frequently of holding the briefing would help to keep Nigerians informed, saying the “biggest enemy is now misinformation.
“We need to support the government because the government cannot do it alone. It is our responsibility because a case in the country is threat to everyone,’’ he said.
Peter, however, assured of the WHO’s support to Federal Government to contain the spread of the virus.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, had on Thursday in a twitter message disclosed that three cases had been identified and were being tested in the Lagos isolation centre.
One of those involved, he added, is a Nigerian who returned from France four days ago, a second entered the country from the United Kingdom and a third from China.
