Coronavirus: Aso Villa staff, council members, others screened

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Following the confirmation of the first reported COVID-19 case in Lagos, the first in Sub-Saharan Africa, members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), visitors and staff entering Aso Villa are being screened for the virus.

Family members and visitors that came to witness the swearing-in of the new Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Omolara Yemi-Esan, were screened and given hand sanitizers before being allowed into the State House Council Chambers, Abuja.

The Federal Government last week announced that it has acquired the necessary reagents to test for the presence of COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) in suspected patients.

The three designated laboratories are in Lagos, Abuja and Irrua in Edo State to handle such tests.

The government had gone ahead to commence the construction of special centres for the treatment of the disease in Lagos and other parts of the country, including Abuja, the country’s capital.

Findings at the Villa show that government may have stepped up measures for early detection of possible carriers of the virus following reported difficulties by officials of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to locate co-passengers of the Italian index case in Nigeria

The Novel Coronavirus, first reported in Wuhan, China, has spread to the United States of America, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Philippines among a growing list of countries, is a new strain of the virus that has not been previously identified in humans.

Meanwhile, before the commencement of the Council meeting, President Buhari at exactly 11:08 am swore-in Yemi-Esan as the substantive Head of Service of the Federation.

Congratulations to Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. #AsoVillaToday pic.twitter.com/od7CAe6Md8

— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) March 4, 2020

President Buhari on Friday, February the 28th, had confirmed the appointment of Yemi- Esan as the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

She had held the office in an acting capacity since Thursday, September, 19th, 2019.

The brief ceremony was witnessed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, cabinet members, some permanent secretaries, Yemi-Esan’s family members as well as her spiritual father, Pastor Peter Balogun, of the Citizens Church, Abuja.