Senator: No screening for coronavirus at our airports — it’s frightening

Ajayi Boroffice, deputy senate leader, says there are no measures to check the spread of coronavirus into the country.

Speaking on the floor of the senate on Thursday, Boroffice said upon his arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe airport in Abuja from South Africa on Wednesday, passengers were only given a sheet of paper to indicate whether they were sick.

The deputy leader said that was not the case in South Africa as they were screened before he disembarked from the aircraft when he arrived in the country on Friday.

“I was in South Africa on Friday, I came back yesterday. Because of the issue of coronavirus, every country in the world is taking preventive measures because the wisdom is that prevention is better than cure. In South Africa, we were not allowed to leave the aircraft for good 30 minutes,” he said.

“Officers of the medical corps came into the aircraft and screened everybody before we were allowed out but I arrived yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport and there was no screening.

“All we were given is a sheet of paper to indicate whether we were sick and whether we have been to one country or the other and how we will be contacted if there is an emergency. How will you trail me? How do you know if I have fallen sick. This is very frightening.”

Boroffice said measures should be taken by the authorities to prevent the virus from getting into the country

On his part, Senate President Ahmad Lawan said it appears that the ministry of health is not doing its best to prevent the virus from getting into the country.

“While the federal ministry of health and the associated agencies may be doing their best, with this explanation. This best is not good enough and we should not take anything for granted,” he said.

“We must be prepared. We must take all the necessary measures at our ports – airports, seaports. If someone is coming from China, he should be quarantined, not self isolation.”

Lawan directed the committees on public health and primary health to liaise with the health ministry over the senator’s concern.