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FG Inter-Ministerial Meeting Reviews Strategies On Containing Coronavirus

Health	1603 VIEWS
Health
1603 VIEWS

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Monday, March 02, 2020 / 4:43 PM / Nifemi Taiyese for WebTV / Header Image Credit: Nigeria Health Watch

The Federal Government today held an Inter-Ministerial Meeting on the Coronavirus pandemic and the strategies in place to contain it in the country.

Health Minister Dr. Osagie Ehanire disclosed this in an interview on Channels Television yesterday, where he discussed measures to ensure the first recorded case of the coronavirus in the country, does not spread across Africa's largest economy.

Dr. Ehanire said the meeting involved the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, National Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and other relevant agencies.

The meeting, according to him, would provide an opportunity to review the steps to address the likely spread and explore fresh strategies to averting a pandemic.

The Health Minister said since the first recorded case of the coronavirus traced to an Italian who visited the country on a business trip, the authorities of the International Airports in Nigeria, from Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu have been working closely to step up checks and surveillance.

He assured Nigerians that the surveillance at the airports and other points of entry in the country are thorough and robust with the deployment of technology to trigger an alert in the event of any foreigner or Nigerian that may contract the virus.

Since the first coronavirus case, the Ogun State Health Ministry has placed over 39 people, who were in contact with Italian on quarantine to monitor their health status.

The Italian is already at the Lagos State specialist center for disease control facility in Yaba, and according to the Commissioner of Health, Professor Akin Abayomi is responding to treatment.

Since the outbreak of the virus, over 50 countries have recorded cases, even as researchers and scientists seek vaccines and medical solutions.

So far, the COVID-19 has recorded 3,057 deaths and 89,081 cases, with China accounting for the highest death rate of 2,912 and Iran, the second highest with 54.

Nigeria became the first Sub-Saharan African nation to record the coronavirus disease, which the World Health Organization, WHO, warned that it poses a major public health challenge to the globe.