The federal government on Wednesday confirmed five fresh cases of COVID-19 in the country.
This brings to eight the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, although one of the earlier three has fully recovered.
Of the new cases, one is a six-week-old baby who happens to be the youngest COVID-19 patient.
The minister of health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, said all travellers were from the UK and the U.S.
“The federal ministry of health unfortunately confirms five new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria within the last 36 hours, bringing total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to eight.
“Of the five new positive cases three arrived from the United States, while two came in from the United Kingdom.
“We are still collating information on the travellers; two of the three from the US are Nigerians, a mother and child, making the six week old baby the youngest COVID-19 patient we have, and the third is an American national, who crossed the land border and becomes the first COVID-19 case not arriving by air. The two cases from the UK are Nigerians.
“A detailed travel history of each person is being compiled and contacts currently being traced, to identify persons who have recently been in contact with anyone.
“The National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and supported by partners, is supporting response in the states.
“The federal government through federal ministry of Health is conducting risk assessment to help guide decision making.
“We urge citizens not to panic, but allow experts in public health to guide response in a calculated, scientific manner. False information and rumour to cause fear and panic must be avoided at such times.
“The COVID-19 cases so far appear to have mild symptoms and are in recovery.
“To protect yourselves and your families, I urge everyone to continue to take care and caution as advised. Government will do the needful to protect citizen’s health,” said Ehanire in a statement made available to journalists.
He further stated that the Presidential Task Force for the Control of Coronavirus (COVID-19) had, on March 17 announced
*prohibition of all travel by public servants
*suspension of the visa on arrival policy till further notice
*a firm travel advisory against non-essential travel to high burden countries, especially in view of the number of Nigerians who arrived from US and Europe and diagnosed in the past 48 hours with coronavirus infection
*a requirement that all persons returning from overseas self-isolate for observation for 14 days, even if they feel well. NCDC will disseminate information on the practice
*supervised self-isolation, including testing, of persons returning from nations with community transmission of more than 1,000 cases cumulatively, for 14 days by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and port health services
*federal government’s restriction of entry to Nigeria of persons from the listed high burden countries with effect from Friday March 20, for a period of four weeks, and *a reminder that citizens maintain hand hygiene and standard respiratory etiquette.
The minister also said that the ministry of health through the NCDC will continue to provide accurate and reliable updates as and when they are available, and take available measures to control spread of infectious disease outbreaks in Nigeria.