2 out of 3 suspected coronavirus cases negative, says health minister

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, says two out of the three suspected cases of coronavirus tested negative for the disease.

He said the result of the third suspected case is still being awaited.

On Thursday, Akin Abayomi, Lagos commissioner of health, disclosed that three patients, who returned from abroad, had been put in isolation for procedural checks.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Friday, the minister asked citizens not to profile foreign nationals over fears of the virus.

“As of the three cases, one of them, we are expecting the result; it takes some hours for the results to come out,” 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.

“People should maintain good social distance. We have already strengthened the screening of every passenger that enters this country.”

Nigeria recorded its first case on February 27. The index case is an Italian who came into the country for business.

So far, this is the only case of coronavirus in the country.

The disease, which broke out in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, is taking a heavy toll on countries globally.