Coronavirus: Kaduna State Sets Up Emergency Centre

Kaduna State has constituted an Emergency Operational Centre (EOC), following the confirmation of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) in Lagos last Thursday.

This was said on Saturday in a statement by the state Ministry of Health.

The statement stated that its committee will be chaired by the Commissioner of health, Dr Amina Baloni, adding that it was set up to respond quickly, on the outbreak of the disease.

It will be recalled that on February 27, 2020, the Federal Ministry of Health had announced that the first case of COVID-19 had been discovered in Lagos. The statement further reiterated that the general public should observe preventive measures as advised by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“People should regularly and thoroughly wash hands with soap and water or alcohol based hand sanitisers, maintain at least three to five feet distance between individuals and anyone who is coughing or sneezing,’’ he said.

The general public is also advised to follow good respiratory hygiene by covering the mouth and nose with a handkerchief or tissue paper, or cough and sneeze into the sleeve at the bent elbow.

The Ministry further said that such handkerchiefs or tissue papers should be disposed immediately after use. According to the statement, patients who have a history of travel to China, Italy and other countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19, to self isolate for two weeks and report any symptoms of fever, cough, sneezing and difficulty in breathing to medical personnel.