The Lagos State Government on Thursday announced that four new persons in the state have tested positive to the deadly Coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 11. With one case already recorded in Ekiti State, this brings the total number of infected people in the country to 12.
The Lagos state commissioner for health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed this on Thursday, stating that the government was currently following up over 1,300 contact cases.
Abayomi disclosed that 19 people were tested for Coronavirus on Wednesday in Lagos and that four out of them had tested positive to the virus and had been isolated for treatment at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba.
He said the first of the four new cases who tested positive to the disease was a woman who had contact with the woman who came from the United Kingdom (UK) some days ago who was tested positive.
“The second new case was a female who returned from France on 14th of March on a Turkish airline TK 1830. The third case is a Nigerian male in his 50s who had not travelled anywhere but was tested positive to the disease.
“The fourth new case was a Nigerian male who arrived in the country on 13th of March from Frankfurt to Lagos on Lufthansa airline, flight number LH568,” he added.
More tests were still being carried out, said the commissioner, adding that it was clear that the state has a combination of imported cases and local transmission while appealing to people on the two flights to self-isolate themselves and to reach out to the government.
Speaking on social distancing, Abayomi said, “The Executive of Lagos State is meeting on the next stage on social distancing. The best way to slow the rate is to halt the movement of the virus from person to person.”
Giving an update on the Italian man who was the first case recorded in the country, the commissioner said the Italian national has now tested negative to the disease.
Abayomi said it was good news for Lagos and Nigeria for the index case to test negative, adding that he would not be allowed to go yet, until a confirmatory test had been carried out within 48 hours, saying that if he tested negative the second time, he would be discharged.
The second case who was infected by the Italian tested negative twice few days after he was quarantined.
Abayomi however, said all new cases were responding to treatment at the IDH in Yaba, Lagos.
