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Coronavirus: Lafarge says persons who had contact with Italian isolated

By Timileyin Omilana
28 February 2020   |   6:37 pm
Lafarge Africa Friday said it has identified the persons who had direct contact with an Italian diagnosed of coronavirus in Lagos on Thursday. Ogun State governor Dapo Abiodun said 28 persons have been isolated and the Ewekoro the Italian visited shut down. The unnamed Italian flew into Lagos on Monday and visited Lafarge's office in…

Lafarge Africa Friday said it has identified the persons who had direct contact with an Italian diagnosed of coronavirus in Lagos on Thursday.

Ogun State governor Dapo Abiodun said 28 persons have been isolated and the Ewekoro the Italian visited shut down.

The unnamed Italian flew into Lagos on Monday and visited Lafarge’s office in Ogun State on Tuesday. He took ill while there and was subsequently kept in isolation until he was transferred to Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities on Thursday morning.

Lafarge said the Italian works for one of its vendor in Ogun State.

“We have immediately identified the persons who had direct contact with the concerned individual,” Lafarge’s Director of Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development Folashade Ambrose-Medebem
said in a statement.

“We have equally initiated isolation, quarantine and disinfection protocol.

“We are working in full co-operation with all local authorities.”

The Italian’s diagnosis is the first case recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa. Two African countries – Egypt and Algeria – had earlier reported separate cases.

Lagos State commissioner of health Professor Akin Abayomi said at a press conference earlier on Friday that the patient came to Nigeria from Milan, Italy.

Italy is one of the hardest-hit countries in Europe by the disease which has killed over 2, 800 persons worldwide.

“We have a traveller that began his journey in Milan on Monday, 24th February. He transited through Instanbul on Turkish Airlines and arrived in Lagos on Monday night,” Lagos State commissioner for health Prof akin Abayomi said at a press conference on Friday.

Abayomi said the Italian spent the night a hotel closed to the airport and travelled to Ogun State for business engagement on Tuesday morning.

“He carried out business in Ogun State within the confines of that company on Tuesday and in the early part of Wednesday.

“By afternoon, he started to develop symptoms for high fever and body pains.”

Abayomi said the patient was isolated and an investigation of the symptoms began at the medical facility owned by the company because of the Italian’s travel origin. He said the patient was isolated overnight on Wednesday and was transferred to Lagos State on Thursday morning.

“He immediately he arrived, he was put straight into isolation and the appropriate test was ordered. Within hours, we received the signal.”
He said the government has started tracing his movement from Lagos to Ogun and people he might have had contact with since his arrival in Lagos.

He said the state currently has an 80-bed facility to handle emergency and that it has the capacity to expand the facility.

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