The Federal Government on Wednesday issued a travel advisory to Nigerians not to travel to China in the meantime in view of the outbreak and spread of the deadly Coronavirus respiratory disease from there.
Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, announced the advisory to journalists at the end of the first meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for 2020, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
The Minister also advised any persons returning from China, or any other seriously affected country, to Nigeria to quarantine themselves indoors for at least two weeks, even when no symptoms are observed.
If any symptoms are observed however, he advised any affected persons to immediately report to emergency health services; while airlines are to report the presence of any infected passenger on board to ground control at Nigerian airports well ahead of landing so that appropriate health measures can be activated on time.
His words: “In view of the trending stories around the Coronavirus, it has become necessary to issue a travel advisory to Nigerians.
“The first is that all Nigerians and persons intending to travel to China should delay their travel plans till further notice, except it is extremely essential.
“All persons arriving from China or any country that has a major outbreak, is advised that if they have no symptoms at all, to self-isolate: meaning that they stay indoors in their homes for at least two weeks; and if they develop any symptoms like cough, catarrh or sneezing, breathing difficulties within this period, they should go to the nearest health facility.
“We are also advising all airlines to report any case of a passenger falling sick on board before the plane lands. That is the requirement in the agreement. Nigerian Ports health services, and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control are on alert at our airports and other ports of entry, that is the advisory.”
The spread of the fast-moving virus – easily contracted from human to human – outside of China is of “grave concern” and has prompted the World Health Organization to reconvene an emergency meeting this week to decide whether it’s a global health emergency.
Meanwhile, latest reports indicate that the total number of cases of the coronavirus reached more than 6,100 worldwide with 132 deaths in China, according to Chinese and international health authorities on Wednesday.
Since the first patient was identified in Wuhan on December 31, 2019, the number of coronavirus cases in China has mushroomed to more than 6,000, as at Wednesday.
Asked about the huge number of Chinese that may be returning to Nigeria soon, Ehanire said: “We don’t have statistics on the number of Chinese returning to this country, but what I can telling you is that for those who traveled and meet the conditions we mentioned can come back to their work.
“I also want to remind you that there are very many Nigerians in China who will be coming home, not only Chinese and other people who have work to do in Nigeria from that area. We are not using your nationality as a criterion, we are using your state of health.”
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