Nigeria records four new coronavirus cases

The Lagos state government has recorded four new cases of the novel coronavirus.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 12.

Akin Abayomi, the state commissioner for health, announced this during a press briefing on Thursday.

He said the state now has 11 total confirmed cases with only nine of them being active.

While the second case was earlier discharged, Abayomi said the Italian man who was Nigeria’s index case has recovered from the disease but needs two more tests before he can be discharged.

“There are four new cases. There are 11 total confirmed cases but we actually have 9 active cases because the index case is now negative. The only reason he is still with us is because he needs two negative tests but he is ready and anxious to go,” he said.

The commissioner said 19 tests were conducted on suspected cases and contacts of the five cases announced on Wednesday.

He said four of the tests came out positive.

Abayomi said one of the new cases involve a Nigerian female who returned from France via a Turkish airline (TK 1830) on March 14, while another case is a Nigerian male in his 50s who had never travelled anywhere but tested positive to the virus.

He said another case involves a Nigerian male who arrived in the country from Frankfurt, Germany via Luftansa flight LH 568, on March 13.

The commissioner said the ministry is currently tracking over 1,300 people in relation to virus.

He clarified that the testing and quarantine for the virus is free.

“Everything is free from testing, to quarantine, to management until we discharge you,” he said.