Coronavirus: Nigeria Opens Laboratories As WHO Alerts 13 African Countries 

The Nigerian government is leaving nothing to chance as the deadly Coronavirus continues to take a heavy toll on nations across the globe.

This comes as the federal government has established three laboratories at strategic locations to curb the virus in the event that it spreads to the country.

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The move came after the World Health Organization (WHO) placed 13 African countries with direct links to China on vigilance against the spread of the virus.

Coronavirus, now named COVID-19, is said to have killed over 1,100 people across different countries, with the number of confirmed cases totaling 44, 653 as of Wednesday.

Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire, disclosed at the 2020 Primary Healthcare Summit in Kano state that the government decided to establish the laboratories to help rein in the virus should it spread into the country.

Osagie also dismissed rumours that the virus had already spread into the country, adding that his ministry was working on an emergency medical service and ambulance transport system in the event of an incidence.

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“So far nobody has been diagnosed of the Corona virus in the country, stressing that “all those tested, so far for the virus proved negative. This, however does not mean that the Federal Government will fold its arms, as it is taking all the required measures to keep the virus at bay.”

The minster added, “The Federal Government is taking all necessary measures to monitor and screen foreigners, jetting in and out of the country, to ensure that the virus does not infiltrate into the country. Health personnel, armed, with screening equipment have been deployed at major airports in the country to screen passengers flying in and out of the country.”

WHO had identified the 13 African countries that should be vigilant as Algeria, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Meanwhile, Lagos State, which is Nigeria’s largest commercial hub, is said to have started training 342 medical personnel as first-level emergency responders for communicable diseases like coronavirus in the 20 Local Governments Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the state.

This was disclosed on Monday by Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).

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“Following a directive issued by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, our team has immediately begun a monitoring visit to all councils to ascertain the level of preparedness of all the hospitals and other healthcare facilities in the state,” Oke-Osanyintolu had told journalists in Alausa, Ikeja.

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