Nigeria has recorded the first case of the deadly coronavirus, which broke out in China in January, 2020.
It was confirmed by the Ministry of Health in Lagos State, which reported it to the Federal Ministry of Health.
The case was confirmed on the 27th of February 2020.
A statement by the Commissioner of Health, Prof Akin Abayomi informed the case involved
“an Italian citizen who entered Nigeria on the 25th of Feburary from Milan, Italy for a brief business visit.”
He was said to have fallen ill on February 26 and transfered to Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities for isolation and testing.
The case, he added, was confirmed as COVID-19 infection by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Laboratory Network of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
According to him: ‘The patient is clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.
“The Government of Lagos State under the Governor as the COVID-19 Incident Commander, through the Lagos State Ministry of Health, has been strengthening measures to ensure that any outbreak in Lagos is controlled and contained quickly in collaboration with the multi-sectoral Coronavirus Preparedness Group, led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
” We have immediately activated the State Emergency Operations Centre to respond to this case and implement firm control measures.
“I wish to assure all Lagosians and Nigerians that we have been strengthening our preparedness since the first confirmation of cases in China.
“We will use all the resources made available by the State and the Federal Government to respond to this case.”
We are working to identify all the contacts of the patient, since he arrived in Nigeria.
