Health minister: 58 under self-isolation over contact with Italian patient

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, says a total of 58 persons had contact with the index case of coronavirus in Nigeria. 

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Ehanire said the contacts – 19 in Lagos and 39 in Ogun – have been placed under supervised self-isolation.

The minister further said they were given temperature monitoring tools.

An Italian man, 44, had flown into Nigeria through Lagos from Milan, Italy. He then travelled to Ogun state where he first exhibited symptoms of the virus. He was subsequently moved to Lagos where he tested positive to the disease and has since been placed on isolation.

Giving update on the situation in the country, Ehanire said as of Monday, the Italian remained the only COVID-19 patient, urging Nigerians not to panic.

He added that efforts were also in place to get in touch with the other passengers on the Turkish Airlines flight which the index case came with.

“Currently, the contacts of the index case are identified as 19 contacts in Lagos and 39 contacts in Ogun state. We are in touch with these contacts who are under supervised self-isolation and the states have provided them with temperature monitoring tools. Both Ogun and Lagos states have activated their EOCs also,” Ehanire said.

“As at the 1st of March, there is no new confirmed case in Nigeria. About 14 tests have been done, and except that one patient, no other person has been diagnosed.

“There were 156 passengers on the manifest of the flight that brought the index case. Port health services and NCDC have been supporting both Lagos and Ogun state governments to carry out contact tracing and other response activities.

“We have also deployed rapid response teams from the NCDC who are working closely with all the states. It is important that all Nigerians focus on the facts not fear and not to generate panic.

“As at the 1st of March, 2020, there have been a total of 87,137 confirmed cases, 95 percent of them have been inside China. There have been 2,977 deaths across 59 countries affected. There are only three countries affected in Africa: Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria.”