IgbereTV reports that the Federal Government says it has no plans to impose travel restrictions on visitors from countries where coronavirus continues to spread rapidly. This comes as countries across the globe tighten border restrictions in hopes of stemming the spread. Nigeria will however, screen visitors entering the country from China (where the disease originated last year), Japan, Iran, Italy, Germany, France, South Korea and Spain.
Nigeria’s index case was an Italian who flew into the country from Milan on February 4th. He was quarantined and is believed to be recovering fast.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnibe Mamora, said the FG decided to screen visitors from the eight countries after the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
“We have carried out a review of our case definition. We have added three new countries to the existing list of five high-risk countries with widespread community transmission. These are France, Germany and Spain.
Therefore, eight countries are on our priority list – China, Japan, Iran, Italy, Republic of Korea, France and Germany. “Travellers from these eight countries will undertake secondary screening at the point of entry. They are also advised to self-isolate for 14 days on entry.”
He said between January 7 and March 15 48 people who had contact with the Italian were screened for coronavirus in Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Yobe, Rivers, Kano, Enugu states and the Federal Capital Territory. Nigeria has had no fatalities from the virus.
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