The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed four new cases of the coronavirus, as the total figure of confirmed cases in Nigeria rises to 40.
NCDC who had earlier put the total figure at 40, with one death and two discharged cases, took to its official handle on Monday night to say the four new cases confirmed, are three in Lagos State and 1 in FCT.
The NCDC stated that two of these four cases were returning travellers, but did not state from what country, and what airline brought them into the country.
Before releasing these data, the NCDC had raised alarm over the influx of people from countries with high cases of coronavirus saying “they are the biggest source of transmission.”
“Our biggest source of risk in travellers returning from high-risk countries are expected to self isolate for 14 days. Our appeal to Nigerians is to take responsibility and prevent further transmission of the virus.
Collective action is critical to control spread,” NCDC said on Twitter.
Lagos State Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health, Dr Ismail Abdul-Salam, recently said that on a daily basis, not less than 38,000 people came into the country through the ports while 730 of this number are from coronavirus high-risk countries.
This news now brings to the total cases of the coronavirus in Nigeria to :
Total Confirmed Cases: 40
Total Active Cases: 37
Total Discharged: 2
Total Death: 1
The NCDC on Monday 23rd March 2020, confirmed the death of a 67-year old man as the first victim to die from the coronavirus in Nigeria, the man who was later identified as Engr. Achimugu, a former Managing Director of PPMC.
The late Engr. Sulaiman Achimugu was said to be in self-isolation upon his return from the UK, and personally called NCDC after experiencing some discomfort that is related to COVID 19 symptoms.
He tested positive and was promptly evacuated to the specialist hospital. He died while receiving treatment.
The NCDC had taken to their official twitter handle to announce the first death from the virus, saying:
“The 1st #COVID19 death in Nigeria has been recorded. The case was a 67-year-old male who returned home following medical treatment in UK
He had underlying medical conditions- multiple myeloma & diabetes & was undergoing chemotherapy Our thoughts are with his family,” the NCDC had twitted.