The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has confirmed a fresh case of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

The Minister, speaking at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), said the new patient is an Ogun State contact of the Italian index case and is one of 40 persons in isolation being closely monitored.

The new patient is said to be clinically stable.

The new instance of COVID-19, according to the Minister, brings to two the number of confirmed cases in Nigeria.

Regarding another case reported in the US of Nigerian origin, the Minister said Nigerian health authorities are in touch with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its Abuja arm. According to Ehanire, “the case visited Lagos in February 2020. However, given the timelines between the visit and illness, it is unlikely he was infected in Nigeria.”