Coronavirus: Nigeria places no-travel ban on Italy, China, others

Nigeria has warned its citizens with imminent plans to travel out of the country to coronavirus (COVID-19) hit nations to shelve the trip to limit further complications.

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, gave the advice on Friday this in Abuja. Though he failed to list major countries, findings show that major hit nations in no particular order include China, Italy, and some others.

Besides, Oman has also placed similar no-travel ban for its citizens pending further notice.

He also explained that already, many airlines are cutting short trips either due to lockdowns or drop in passenger availability due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and its dangers of spread.

Addressing a world press conference in his office, he disclosed that the building being put in place to serve as a victim quarantine centre in Abuja, which the Senate president had earlier in the week decried its unreadiness is now completed and all strategic equipment in place and running.

On the issue of three new foreign nationals who were tested, he revealed that two have tested negative while the result for the third is still being awaited.

While noting that there are some African countries that may lack the detective capacity to handle the virus pandemic, he called for any that are willing to get in touch with Nigeria, South Africa and any other nation with robust clinical intelligence and facilities to save the continent.

In all, Dr. Ehanire maintained that Nigeria still currently has only one case which remained the index Italian victim now positively responding to treatment in Lagos.

Six people have died in the United States from the coronavirus with researchers warning the virus could have been circulating in the community for weeks, as more countries around the world reported their first cases of the disease on Monday.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Tunisia reported their first confirmed coronavirus cases, while the death toll in Iran rose to 66 – the highest outside China.

The Czech Republic, Scotland, and the Dominican Republic also confirmed their first cases. Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim majority nation, also announced its first patients.

More than 89,000 people across 58 countries have now been diagnosed with the infection, while the death toll globally has exceeded 3,000.