A new case of coronavirus has been recorded in Nigeria.
The case, independent of the index case, is of a 30-year-old Nigerian who returned from the United Kingdom on 13th March, the Lagos State Commissioner for health, Akin Abayomi, has said.
Abayomi broke the news to journalists at the government secretariat Tuesday morning.
He said the patient, who initially showed symptoms of the infection, observed self-Isolation, and thereafter tested positive.
With this latest record case, Nigeria now has a record of 3 cases within the country. Of the three cases, only two remain active as the second recorded case, linked to the index case has tested negative.
Nigeria confirmed its first case on February 27 when an Italian who arrived the country on a business trip showed the symptom.
The man had spent two days within the country and visited Lagos and Ogun state before he fell ill and was diagnosed of coronavirus.
He has since been isolated and placed under treatment.
According to the Minister of state for health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, the contact case from the index case was well and released to go back into the community.
He also added that the index case was still, however, being observed as the viral load of the virus is yet to be at zero significant level.
He said the Italian would be under observation until that is achieved but he is clinically stable and responding to treatment.
Mamora said between January 7 and March 15, a total of 48 people who had met the case definition of the disease has so far been tested in eight states – Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Enugu, FCT, Rivers Kano, Yobe – out of which 47 tested negative and have been cleared, one positive (contact of index case) and one result still pending. There has been no death so far.
Meanwhile the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, while briefing journalists on the latest case of coronavirus in the country on Tuesday, disclosed that the Presidential Taskforce on Coronavirus will meet and make further announcement as to whether it would roll out further actions to contain the spread of the virus.
“With regard to banning flights into Nigeria or social activities and festivals, I will provide an update after the deliberations of the Inter-Ministerial,” Ehanire said.
