The Federal Government has placed 69 persons who had first contact with the Liberian-born victim of Ebola
Virus Disease, Patrick Sawyerr, on surveillance, while two persons have
been quarantined, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said.
He also said government had not shut its borders for now, “except when it becomes necessary.”
According to him, the 69 persons will be
under surveillance for a period of three weeks from the date of contact
in line with the specifications of the World Health Organisation.
The minister at a joint press briefing
with the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, on Thursday on the
update of the virus, said Sawyerr with dual citizenship from both
Liberia and United States, was confirmed dead barely four days after arrival in Nigeria.
He said, “We decided on the proper manner
on how to dispose off his body because the corpse of any victim of
Ebola disease is very toxic. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control
decontaminated the body. We are tracking all those who had primary
contact with him. As of today, 69 persons have been placed under
surveillance while two persons have been quarantined.
“All those in the same aircraft to attend
the meeting with him in Calabar are presently under surveillance. They
will remain under this surveillance until a period of three weeks from
the date of contact. We have a copy of the passengers’ manifest and we
discovered that the sitting arrangement was free sitting. We are working
with the airlines to track down those other passengers yet to be identified.
“As a Federal Government policy, we have
not closed our borders, unless it becomes necessary. But the Aviation
Minister is working with us in many aspects to make sure that the virus
does not spread.”
Chukwu also stated that the virus “can be contacted on air even while airborne once you contact the droplets.”
The Minister said government was engaging the states right from the moment that the disease was first reported in Guinea.
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