The Federal Government has announced the second death from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the country.
Former managing director of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Suleiman Achimugu, was the first casualty of coronavirus in the country, after returning from the UK.
Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this at the daily coronavirus Presidential Task Force briefing on Monday in Abuja.
Ehanire said the victim, who he did not name, had underlying medical conditions.
He said three persons have also been discharged after successful treatment.
“We have intensified contact tracing and our strategy remains to promptly detect cases, isolate them, and follow up with their contacts and also isolate and treat, in order to reduce the spread of the infection.
“As of today, the 30th of March, 2020, we have recorded 111 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria, of which 68 are in Lagos, 21 in the FCT, seven in Oyo, three in Ogun, two in Bauchi, two in Edo, two in Osun, two in Enugu, and one each in Benue, Ekiti, Kaduna and Rivers states,” he said.
The minister stressed that Nigeria had 111 confirmed cases of COVID-19, saying a majority of them were persons who came from overseas.
Ehanire also disclosed that all retired but able-bodied doctors and nurses were recalled.
He urged Nigerians to protect the elderly among them as well as those with underlying health issues, as they were the most vulnerable.
Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said there would be daily briefings on COVID-19 in the country.
He explained that the purpose was to give an update and minimise the incidence of fake news in the country. He stressed that the briefing would be the only approved briefing of the task force, although appearances on TV by relevant members would be allowed.
The SGF disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari constituted a committee, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, to care for the economic challenges that the situation might bring for the time being.
The SGF said that workers in financial institutions were not included in the stay-at-home order declared by the President in his broadcast to the nation on Sunday.
