Suspected case of coronavirus in Ondo tests negative

A United States returnee who was suspected of having coronavirus in Ondo state has tested negative for the disease.

David, the suspected case, who came into the state from Maryland, US, was on Wednesday taken to the Ondo State University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital after showing symptoms of coronavirus.

On Saturday, Wahab Adegbenro, the state commissioner for health, said the test result of the 70-year-old man came out negative.

Adegbenro said though there is no case of coronavirus in the state, measures have been put in place to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the state.

During a meeting with religious leaders in the state, Adegbenro said social distancing was now compulsory.

He asked religious leaders to discourage gathering of more than 10 people, handshakes, holding hands to pray as well as using the same cup for holy communion.

In response, the religious leaders pledged their support to the government in the fight against the spread of the disease. They also asked the government to take necessary steps to protect the citizens.

Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the state governor, on Thursday, set up an inter-ministerial committee headed by Adegbenro to coordinate the state’s response to COVID-19.

He also “directed the closure of all primary and secondary schools as well tertiary institutions in the state as from Friday 20th, March 2020 until further notice”.

The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Nigeria is 12.

As a part of effort to contain the virus, the federal government issued a travel ban on 15 countries — China, Italy, Iran, Austria, Sweden, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, United States, Norway, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Switzerland.

The travel ban takes effect from Today.