…As Anambra, Benue, Enugu, Ogun shut schools
- Senate suspends public hearing, shuts galerry
- LASU shelves convocation ceremony
- Air Peace, Arik Air scale down flight operations
- African countries record 17 deaths in 24 hours
The Lagos State government has confirmed four new cases of coronavirus disease.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, disclosed this in a chat with reporters on Thursday. That brings to 12 the cases so far identified in Nigeria.
Abayomi explained that 19 persons were evaluated on Wednesday, with four testing positive.
The positive persons, he said, have been isolated for treatment at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.
He said the first of the four new cases is a woman in contact with another woman, who came in from the UK a few days ago.
According to him, the second new case is a female who returned from France on March 14, on a Turkish Airline TK 1830.
The third case, the commissioner said, is a Nigerian male in his 50s, who had not travelled anywhere but tested positive.
Abayomi stated that the fourth case is a Nigerian male, who arrived on March 13 from Frankfurt to Lagos on Lufthansa airline, flight number LH568.
The commissioner, however, said more tests are still being carried out, appealing to passengers on the two flights to self-isolate themselves, and reach the government.
“Currently, we are following over 1,300 people right now to find information about the state of their health and the number is increasing,” Abayomi stated.
Senate suspends public hearing, closes gallery
The Senate, on Thursday, took precautionary measures to forestall the spread of the Coronovirus pandemic.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, at the commencement of plenary, announced the suspension of public hearing and visitors coming to the public gallery, effective from next Tuesday.
Anambra shuts schools, bans public gatherings
As part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the Anambra State government has banned all public gatherings and ordered tertiary institutions to go on compulsory vacation.
According to a statement by the government, the ban on public gatherings will commence from Monday March 23, while closure of tertiary institutions will commence March 20, 2020.
It said: “Primary and secondary schools are mandated to go on compulsory break from March 27, 2020 while inter-house sports competitions are suspended till further notice.
“Management of all schools in the state are mandated to take temperature of students frequently, and temperature above 37.9 degrees celsius should be reported to the nearest hospital.
“Hand wash stations must be at the entrance of all schools and management must ensure all students and visitors wash their hands thoroughly for about 20 seconds and air dry. Parents are advised to provide alcohol-based hand sanitizers for their wards,” the government further said.
It advised that all forms of contact salutations be avoided at all cost with a distance of six-feet maintained between traders and customers.
The market leaders, it also advised, should make use of the infra-red thermometer to test their members and report any suspected cases to the nearest hospital.
‘All luxurious bus owners and operators must maintain a travel manifest for inbound and outbound passengers to Anambra State and have hand-wash stations with passengers advised to carry hand sanitizers.
“Avoid all forms of contact salutations, unnecessary travels and keep reasonable social distance when conversing with each other,” he added.
The government also advised residents returning from countries and states with active COVID-19 cases to self-isolate themselves for 14-days, and contact the Anambra State Public Health Emergency Operation Center immediately (PHEOC).
“During self-isolation
they must take their temperatures twice daily. Also, you are advised to call
these numbers 080309531; 08145434416;
0810446408,” the statement concluded.
Benue govt shuts schools
The Benue State government has ordered closure of all schools from Friday as part of measures to protect the residents from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Commissioner for Education, Professor Dennis Ityavyar, said all schools in the State have been directed to conclude examinations on or before March 27, and proceed on holiday.
The commissioner urged schools to ensure that physical contacts are restricted before the end of the examinations.
He stated that the decision to close schools before the scheduled end of the current academic term has become necessary as part of measures to prevent an outbreak of the disease in the State.
Professor Ityavyar expressed the government’s commitment to safeguarding the future of the Benue child.
On his part, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Sunday Ongbabor, said Benue has established an isolation centre at the State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi.
He said surveillance against coronavirus has been stepped up and advised the people to avoid shaking of hands and observe personal hygiene such as frequently washing their hands with soap.
Enugu govt directs closure of all public, private schools
As part of proactive safety measures arising from the global Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), the Enugu State government has directed public and private primary and secondary schools in the State to conclude all activities in their various schools and shut down on or before Friday, March 27, 2020.
A statement by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, further enjoined teachers and students to continue to observe the School Water Sanitization and Hygiene Programme (WASH) operative in the State as well as other standard personal hygiene protocol for prevention of COVID-19 infection.
Ogun govt orders schools to proceed on holiday
The Ogun State government announced on Thursday that has extended the ban on high-density social gatherings to both private and public schools across the State.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Mr. Kunle Somorin.
He said all measures would be reviewed at regular intervals in response to the development surrounding the Coronavirus disease.
He said that schools are to proceed on a break after school hours on Friday, March 20, while regular and special religious programmes are banned forthwith with immediate effect.
The government enjoined all parents and guardians who have their children and wards in any boarding facility within the state to immediately evacuate them and return them to their respective homes at the close of schools on Friday, March 20, 2020.
The statement said: “Governor Dapo Abiodun thankfully acknowledges and appreciates religious leaders for their advice, understanding solidarity and support, as we jointly search for a solution to the pandemic and for their cooperation to observe all safety measures in the overall interest of our State and common humanity.
“In addition, non-essential travels should be limited whilst also avoiding high-density gatherings.”
LASU postpones convocation ceremony
The Lagos State University (LASU) in Ojo has postponed indefinitely, its 24th convocation ceremony.
The decision, said to have been taken at an emergency management meeting on Thursday, is in response to the rampaging coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19).
Air Peace scales down flight operations
Air Peace said it is downsizing flight operations in response to the adverse effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Specifically, the carrier said it is suspending flight operations on the Lagos / Sharjah / Dubai route as well as the Lagos / Dakar and Lagos / Monrovia routes.
But it will be cutting flights to Accra, Banjul and Freetown.
The Chief Operating Officer, Air Peace, Mrs. Toyin Olajide, disclosed this on Thursday. She said the airline took the decision after an emergency meeting with its management to review operations in the face of the disease, which the World Health Organisation (W.H.O) has already declared as a global pandemic.
The management, she said, also announced several measures aimed at addressing the adverse effects occasioned by the disease.
Olajide said the airline also took the decision to cut down its flights following a tremendous decline in passenger traffic and the needs to cut costs.
She said: “Air Peace, as a result of the adverse effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on passenger traffic, has today taken the hard decision to downsize our flight operations in order to cut the mounting costs occasioned by the pandemic.”
She noted that as a result of the development, the airline will be suspending its operations to Dakar-Senegal and Monrovia-Liberia and cutting down its Freetown-Sierra leone operations and Banjul-Gambia operations to one flight a week.
She said: “Air Peace, as a result of the adverse effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on passenger traffic, has today taken the hard decision to downsize our flight operations in order to cut the mounting costs occasioned by the pandemic.”
She noted that as a result of the development, the airline will be suspending its operations to Dakar-Senegal and Monrovia-Liberia and cutting down its Freetown-Sierra leone operations and Banjul-Gambia operations to one flight a week.
Arik Air suspends operations on African routes
Arik Air on Wednesday suspended its flight services to its West African destinations as part of its safety measures following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The airline announced in a statement that the temporary suspension of flights to all its West Coast destinations would become effective from March 23.
The affected routes, the airline said, are Accra in Ghana; Monrovia, in Liberia; and Dakar, Senegal.
The Gambia, Mauritius and Zambia have each announced their first cases.
Arik Air said on Wednesday that the management of the airline took the decision after a careful analysis of the novel COVID-19 which had been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.
The Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air, Roy Ilegbodu, said that the safety and well-being of the airline’s personnel and customers were paramount at this critical time, hence the decision to temporarily suspend flight services to the West Coast.
“We do not want to take chances and this is why we have taken this decision,” he said.
While apologising to its customers, the airline said it would cushion the effects of the travel ban on passengers whose travel plans may have been affected by the suspension of flights by ensuring a prompt refund of tickets.
African countries record 17 deaths in 24 hours
The World Health Organization (WHO) says African countries have in the last 24 hours recorded 17 deaths from the coronvirus disease.
While Africa was among the last continent to report cases of the virus, they are however beginning to spread throughout the continent as 33 countries have reported at least a case of the disease.
The UN health agency said so far, there have been 633 confirmed COVID-19 cases in 33 African countries, resulting to 17 deaths.