The
Federal Government has placed 69 persons who had first contact with the
Liberian-born victim of Ebola Virus Disease, Patrick Sawyerr, on
surveillance, while two persons have been quarantined, the Minister of
Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said.
He also said government had not shut its borders for now, “except when it becomes necessary.”
According to him, the 69 persons will be
under surveillance for a period of three weeks from the date of contact
in line with the specifications of the World Health Organisation.
The minister at a joint press briefing
with the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, on Thursday on the
update of the virus, said Sawyerr with dual citizenship from both
Liberia and United States, was confirmed dead barely four days after
arrival in Nigeria.
He said, “We decided on the proper manner
on how to dispose off his body because the corpse of any victim of
Ebola disease is very toxic. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control
decontaminated the body. We are tracking all those who had primary
contact with him. As of today, 69 persons have been placed under
surveillance while two persons have been quarantined.
“All those in the same aircraft to attend
the meeting with him in Calabar are presently under surveillance. They
will remain under this surveillance until a period of three weeks from
the date of contact. We have a copy of the passengers’ manifest and we
discovered that the sitting arrangement was free sitting. We are working
with the airlines to track down those other passengers yet to be
identified.
“As a Federal Government policy, we have
not closed our borders, unless it becomes necessary. But the Aviation
Minister is working with us in many aspects to make sure that the virus
does not spread.”
Chukwu also stated that that the virus “can be contacted on air even while airborne once you contact the droplets.”
The Minister said government was engaging the states right from the moment that the disease was first reported in Guinea.
“Our rapid response team is in Lagos.
Nigeria has been commended by WHO. Secondary contacts are also
important. We are working with the Cross River State government. We are
not going to quarantine them but we have demanded for their contact
details,” he stressed.
Chukwu also commended the hospital where
the patient was managed saying, “We commend them for the great job they
have done. They did everything to keep the man alive but unfortunately,
he passed on. We have ordered the closure of the hospital. The doctors
are under surveillance, we are using WHO certified personal protective
equipment. Doctors are at high risk but Nigerians should not panic.”
According to him, government is pushing
the frontiers of communication “and we believe that by this weekend
subscribers of the mobile networks will begin to receive what government
has been doing in that regard.”
He said, “We will soon convene a meeting
with airline operators, Transport Ministry, Federal Road Safety
Commission and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria to see
how to manage people who travel on the West coast. Each state government
has been mandated to expand its isolation centres beyond the ones they
had before.
“Individuals can now buy sanitizers in
offices, hotels and all public places. The idea is to reduce the sources
of contamination. If it is not necessary to have a handshake, don’t.
But where it is necessary do.”
Meanwhile The Federal Government on
Thursday commenced workers’ sensitisation on Ebola at the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport, Abuja, and the Murtala Muhammed International
Airport, Lagos.
A statement issued by the Coordinating
General Manager, Aviation Parastatals, Mr. Yakubu Datti, said the
workers were from different agencies operating at the two major
international airports.
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