Nigerians continue to express concern over the wild spread of Coronavirus. The disease which emerges from China has continued to reach countries such as United States of America (USA), Australia, Cambodia,Canada,Finland,France,Germany, Hong Kong,Japan and many countries such as Kenya and Ivory Coast in Africa.
In a bid to contain the situation, Federal Government through the Minister of Health has come up with preventive measures such as Screening and heightened checks at all Nigerian Airports especially, for travellers coming from the disease ravaging countries.
Recalled that Government hasrecently shut Chinese supermarket in Jabi, Abuja and Agriculture Quarantine Service (ACS), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)were all charged to maintain vigilance. This followed reports that Chinese nationals who travelled to China for the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday will soon be returning to the country.
Also, the Federal Government has advised Nigerians intending to travel to China to delay the trips in view of the outbreak of CoronaVirus in the country except it where it was extremely essential for them to do so.
According to Dr Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire,the Minister for Health while giving a new travel advisory yesterday, 29th January 2020 after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, called on all Airlines to report any case of a passenger falling sick on-board before the plane landed in Nigeria.
The Minister added that the Federal Government is also putting measures in place to prevent an outbreak in the country. The Federal Ministry of Health through its Port Health Services department has commenced measures at international points of entry such as Airports, Seaports and Land borders to forestall importation of the Corona Virus to Nigeria.
The Ministry has also set up a multi-sectoral committee to scale up surveillance and vigilance to detect suspicious cases and ensure containment at all points. In his wards “The committee shall comprise of critical stakeholders in the Health, Security, Aviation and Transport sectors and also include Development Partners. Bearing in mind that air travellers, rather than land border crossers, are more likely carriers of this type of virus, attention will, therefore, focus largely on our five international airports,” Dr Ehanire said.
On her part, the Chairman Nigerians in Diaspora Commission(NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa advised Nigerians living in China to stay indoors so as to avoid contracting the disease. In a statement, Shedisclosed that the Nigerian mission in Beijing is in touch with Nigerians in Wuhan. She reiterated that the warning became imperative as medical experts asserted that presently, there is no specific medication or vaccine for the deadly Corona Virus disease.
