CORONAVIRUS: Nigerian govt moves to fortify border control measures

The Federal Government of Nigeria has moved to reinforce border control measures after the first case of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was confirmed in Lagos.

This was revealed on Friday in a statement issued by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, who said that the federal government has begun prioritizing border control as a means of checkmating the importation of Coronavirus into the country.

Osagie who was speaking at an emergency press briefing in Lagos, said that though, the virus is faster by air compared to sea travel or ship, it can also be imported through the nation’s border entries.

He said; “The virus can’t be moved through ships because the incubation will show. Before you cross the border the process is longer so the likelihood is less, though we are not removing the likelihood or possibility.

“If you are preparing for a challenge you must anticipate where the challenge is going to come from, It has to come by air and not ship so we are looking at that point of entry as the most critical

“The entry of such diseases mostly evolves through air travels even in the USA they recorded cases of Coronavirus, it has to have gone by air and not ship.

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“So we are looking at that point of entry as the most critical. Looking at ship, it’s less likely because of the longer time of travel and the symptoms would break out during that long journey and would be incapacitated that he won’t travel further and when they come in they would be noticed to be sick. This is why we are prioritizing like that.”

The first case of coronavirus disease confirmed in Lagos is that of an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy, on Tuesday, February 25, 2020.

The government says the patient is in clinically stable condition, with no serious symptoms and is being managed at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.

Also speaking on the development, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, on behalf of Governor BabajideSanwo-Olu in a statement, also confirmed the case, and noted that the State Emergency Operations Centre had been activated to respond to this case and implement firm control measures.

According to the statement, the Italian, whose name was not made public, entered Nigeria for a brief business visit, but fell ill the next day, and was transferred to Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities for isolation and testing.

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