COVID-19: Nigeria now has 42 cases — NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says Nigeria now has 42 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of NCDC, told News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), on Tuesday in Abuja, while giving an update on COVID-19 in the country.

Ihekweazu said that the two new cases of COVID19 have been confirmed, one from Lagos and one from Ogun state.

He said that one of the case was a returning traveler. and the second case was a contact of a previously confirmed case.

“As at 1: pm on March 24, there are 42 confirmed cases of COVID19 in Nigeria-two discharged, one death.

“Of the 42 confirmed cases, are in six states, 29 are in Lagos, seven in FCT, three in Ogun, one in Edo, one in Ekiti and one in Oyo,” he said.

NAN reports that the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has threatened to published the names of those who fail to comply to be isolated to curbed the spread of Coronavirus(COVID19), in the country.

The minister urged Nigerians to take self isolation and social distancing very seriously.

He insisted that the government would not make self isolation compulsory as some African countries have done.

The minister said that the government would depend on the sense of responsibility of Nigerians especially travellers form high risk countries to self-isolate.

“We will continue to plead with those who have traveled out of Nigeria in the last 14 days to report, so that we won’t get to the point where our health system will be burdened,” he said.(NAN)