The delayed action of the federal government to take precautionary actions to prevent the coronavirus infection is currently giving governments from federal to states nightmare in containing the spread of the dreaded virus.
While several other countries were taking preventive decisions of travel ban to and fro their countries, the Nigerian government remained docile until the infection permeated the country through foreigners. The federal government only began to act after the virus has started spreading across the states, beginning with Lagos which is a continental state on international borders both on the Atlantic and air traffic. and some other states. The danger of the infection is becoming threatening as the virus is now penetrating states in the upland parts of the country.
In Nasarawa State, five persons who are members of the same family are being quarantined at the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, for showing symptoms of the Coronavirus.
The Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Adamu Yahaya, was said to have acknowleged that the family members arrived Keffi Local Government Area from Ogun State.
The Medical Director said that the patients showed some symptoms similar to that of COVID-19 which necessitated the quarantine. He disclosed that their specimens have been taken to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) laboratory in Abuja for testing to ascertain if it is the virus or not.
The Chief Medical Director maintained that they will remain in isolation at the hospital’s isolation centre, pending the outcome of test in Abuja.
“We saw them based on our high level of alertness and suspicion. We have already quarantined them at our isolation centre. We have taken sample, so, we are waiting for results,” the Director had said.
This is the first suspected case of COVID-19 in Nasarawa State since the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
In Lagos, new cases are being detected at intervals since the infection was found on some persons after the Italian principal carrier who visited Nigeria. The Lagos Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, on Thursday confirmed four new cases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos,
The detection increased the number of total carriers to 12 confirmed cases in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has placed travel ban to some countries, but foreign flights are still arriving Nigeria. This may weaken the government control policy.