Coronavirus: Relief as Lagos locates two wanted contacts of index case

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, on Wednesday, disclosed that the two earlier declared wanted persons who had contacts with the Italian index case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria have been finally located and undergoing a medical test.

Recall, Abayomi had on Tuesday, revealed identities of Enwelunta Godfrey and Salami Abiodun Sodiq as two ‘yet-to-be-found’ personalities who had contacts with the index case and called on the public for assistance in locating the identified contacts.

The commissioner, revealed this on an early morning “Side Mirror Programme” on Lagos Traffic Radio while giving an update on the coronavirus in the state. Abayomi said the two contacts were located via social media platform and further action is ongoing to treat the case in isolation and break the possible spread of the disease.

Abayomi, while assuring citizenry on the need not to panic, however, urged them to be very alert. According to the deputy incident commander, “We have tightened surveillance at the nation’s airports because its the first entry point for this virus where a traveller can possibly import it into the country. “We have deployed 60 health workers, comprising of doctors and nurses, in two batches to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in order to complement efforts of the Federal Government in the prevention strategies. “There is no cause for residents to panic, there is just the cause to be alert. We, as Lagosians, this is a common fight and together we will win the battle.

Together, we are on a positive and strong foot. “That’s not to say Lagos has it all together, we are just doing our best because we have been on the offensive from the onset.” While commending residents for their support and cooperation since the outbreak of the index case in the state, Abayomi, urged them to continue to be vigilant and keep a high standard of hygiene by regularly watching their hands, avoid crowded areas, report suspicious cases to the authorities and other precautionary measures.

Earlier, Abayomi said, the state decided to make the names public due to the government’s inability to trace them based on the contact information they gave when boarding the plane. This came after the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, announced the second case of coronavirus while briefing reporters in Benin City, the Edo State capital. He noted that the newly confirmed case was a contact of the index case and not an importation into the country. Ehanire explained that the government has adopted some important response strategies at the containment stage which included identifying all contacts and ensuring their strict isolation among others. He disclosed that it was in the process that the second case of the virus was detected. Vanguard