Coronavirus in Nigeria: Govt move to enforce border entries

Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire on Friday emphasised that the federal government has begun prioritizing border control as a means of checkmating the importation of Coronavirus into the country.

Osagie was speaking at an emergency press briefing following the confirmation of an index case of Corona virus in Lagos, where he explained that Coronavirus can be imported through the nations border entries and that transmission of the virus is faster by air compared to sea travel or ship.

Ehanire said: “The virus can’t be moved through ships because the incubation will show. Before you cross the border the process is longer so the likelihood is less, though we are not removing the likelihood or possibility.

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“If you are preparing for a challenge you must the where the challenge is going to come from, It has to come by air and not ship so we are looking at that point of entry as the most critical

“The entry of such diseases mostly evolves through air travels even in the USA they recorded cases of Coronavirus, it has to have gone by air and not ship.

“So we are looking at that point of entry as the most critical. Looking at ship, it’s less likely because of the longer time of travel and the symptoms would break out during that long journey and would be incapacitated that he won’t travel further and when they come in they would be noticed to be sick. This is why we are prioritizing like that.”

Coronavirus broke out in Wuhan Province of China in late 2019 and has gradually spread to 26 countries across the world

Earlier in the year, the World Health Organisation, WHO, had declared Coronavirus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.