2 out of 3 suspected coronavirus cases negative – Health Minister

By Toby Prince

Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire,  has revealed that two out of the three suspected cases of coronavirus tested negative for the disease.

Ehanire also noted the result of the third suspected case is still being awaited.

Lagos commissioner of health, Akin Abayomi, had on Thursday, disclosed that three patients, who returned from abroad, had been put in isolation for procedural checks.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Friday, the minister asked citizens not to profile foreign nationals over fears of the virus.

“As of the three cases, one of them, we are expecting the result; it takes some hours for the results to come out,” he said.

”We must go away from the idea of focusing on Chinese or any particular nationality because a case that entered Nigeria, which is the index case is not Chinese.

“People should maintain good social distance. We have already strengthened the screening of every passenger that enters this country.”

Nigeria recorded its first case on February 26. The index case is an Italian who came into the country for business.

So far, this is the only case of coronavirus in the country.

The disease, which broke out in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, is taking a toll on countries globally.