Page 36 A six-week-old baby, one of the newly confirmed five cases in Nigeria, is the youngest coronavirus patient in the country, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said on Wednesday.
Ehanire, while briefing Journalists, in Abuja, stated that Nigeria has recorded five new cases of Covid-19, bringing to eight the total number of confirmed cases of the virus in the country.
He said that all five cases have travel histories to the United Kingdom, UK, and United States, US.
Of the five cases, four were detected from people who flew into the country, and one from an American, who had entered into the country through the land borders.
Ehanire said that it is unfortunate that the newly confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country, are within the last 36-hours, in which the third case was confirmed.
So far, nobody has died from the disease in Nigeria, and one of the earlier three cases has completely recovered.
The announcement was made just as the country announced travel restrictions from 13 countries with high coronavirus cases.
The affected countries are: China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, United States of America, Norway, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Switzerland.
The travel restrictions will commence on March 21.
Meanwhile, of the five new positive cases, three arrived from the US, while two came in from the UK.
Ehanire stated that the government is still collating information on the travellers.
He explained that two of the three from the US are Nigerians, a mother and child, making the six-week old baby the youngest Covid-19 patient in the country. The third is an American national, who crossed the land border, the first Covid-19 case not arriving by air.
Meanwhile, the other two cases from the UK, are also Nigerians.
This implies that a total of six Nigerians and two foreigners (one Italian and American), have been infected in the country.
In the meantime, Ehanire noted that a detailed travel history of each person is being compiled, and persons who have been in contact with them are currently being traced.
“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 the Ministry of Health, is conducting (a) risk assessment, to help guide decision-making, he said.
Ehanire also urged citizens not to panic, but allow Experts in Public Health, to guide responses in a calculated, scientific manner.
He said that so far, all the cases of Covid-19 reported in the country, 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 citizens’ health”, he added.
