Prof. Akin Abayomi, Lagos State commissioner for health

The Lagos state Ministry of Health has confirmed four new cases of coronavirus cases, one short of the five announced by Health Minister Osagie Ehanire.

In a tweet Wednesday afternoon, the Lagos Ministry described the four as: a mother and child who arrived Lagos on 13th March, 2020 from California on Virgin Atlantic flight number VS411, an American citizen who came into Lagos through Benin Republic border on 13th March, 2020, Another Nigerian who returned to Lagos from London on 13th March, 2020 via Virgin Atlantic Flight number VS411.

According to the figures by Lagos, there are now 7 coronavirus cases in the country.

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But the Federal authorities said there are eight, the eighth case accounted for by the 38 year-old Ekiti driver, who had tested positive for the virus.

The confirmed case, according to a statement signed by Dr. (Mrs) Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, Commissioner for Health and Human Services, is suspected to have been infected while driving an American Caucasian, male, 27 years old, who was visiting Nigeria from Richmond, Virginia, USA in the company of his caregiver, a Nigerian female Age 31, of Ekiti origin.

“The American male and his Nigerian female caregiver, arrived Nigeria on 3rd March 2020 through the Muritala Mohammed International Airport Lagos. Preliminary investigations revealed that the pair were driven by our confirmed case to Ibadan, where they stayed for two weeks, and arrived Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State on 13th March, 2020,” Ekiti State government stated.

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“A day after their arrival, the American male fell ill and he was taken to a private hospital where he was referred to a tertiary hospital. Unfortunately, he died from complications of his illness.

“The hospital authorities alerted the State Taskforce and samples were taken from the American male as well as his two companions. The test for the male driver came back positive; the test for the female caregiver came back negative while the test for the American male was inconclusive.

“In line with the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) protocols, the Ekiti State Taskforce on COVID-19 has already quarantined the confirmed case on admission in the State Isolation Centre, while the caregiver who tested negative, is presently under observation in self isolation.”