Coronavirus: 43 People Isolated In Plateau
Despite the fact that 43 people are currently in isolation in Wase local government area of Plateau State, residents of the State have been urged not to panic but remain calm as the State has no case of the dreaded coronavirus.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nimkong Ndam confirmed all those in isolation had not been to Jos and their period of isolation would elapsed on the 10th and 11th of this month based on the period they were isolated. He also disclosed a surveillance team would be stationed at the Yakubu Gowon Airport to screen visitors to the State. Speaking with journalists in his office, Ndam and his Information and Communication counterpart, Dan Manjang appealed to residents not to be afraid because “for now, there is no case of coronavirus in Plateau State.”
He said, “On Friday, 28th February, 2020, we received a communication from the Nigerian Immigration Service that three Chinese nationals were in the State, a team was sent to Wase immediately and what we discovered was that they were not three but four.
The first came in on the 25th of February, he flew from China to Addis Ababa to Abuja, the three came in on the 26th.
“They were screened in Addis Ababa and in Abuja and they drove to Wase, to a mining site at Bakin Kaya and met with two of their colleagues who are also Chinese. The two on the ground were not comfortable with their presence since they were just coming from somewhere so they needed to be isolated for at least 14 days. They’ve presented their screening cards, they are not showing any symptoms of the disease.
“We need to keep them and monitor them and within this period, we gave them contacts to call in the event they show any symptoms. Natives of that community have been sensitized to stay away from the water source in that compound.”
He further allayed fears of illegal journey by the visitors saying, “They have valid travel documents as confirmed by the Immigration Service, we don’t have any case of coronavirus in Plateau State, again, these people didn’t come to Jos at all, in the isolation centre in Wase, we have 25 people there while we have 18 people in Bakin Kaya, five Chinese and 13 Nigerians, making 43 people in all.”
