FG Shuts 3 Airports Over Coronavirus In Nigeria (See Names)

The Federal Government has shut down three international airports in the country over coronavirus in Nigeria.

NewsOne Nigeria reports that President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government shut down the airports on Thursday night, March 19 as part of precautionary measure to curb the ravaging spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

This burgeoning online news platform understands that the three airports shut by the “Next Level”  administration of President Buhari are Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu; and the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.

NewsOne Nigeria reports that the development was contained in a statement signed by the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Musa Nuhu.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority said the three airports would be closed till further notice effective 00:01hours, Saturdays, March 21.

Captain Nuhu said the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos would still be opened but no flight from the thirteen COVID-19 high-risk countries would be allowed into the country.

Meanwhile, this is coming a few hours after the Federal Government shut down schools nationwide over coronavirus in Nigeria.

NewsOne Nigeria reports that the Federal Ministry of Education has ordered the immediate closure of tertiary institutions, secondary and primary schools nationwide as part of the reinforced preventive measures to curb the further spread of Coronavirus in the West African country.

On Thursday, the Lagos State Ministry of Health confirmed it has four new cases of COVID-19. This was announced by the State Commissioner of Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi.

On Wednesday, the Federal Ministry of Health announced five new cases including a 6-week old baby and her mother. The latest additions, increased Nigeria’s cases to 12 after it had just two cases for a number of days.

One of the first two cases has since tested negative with the index case, an Italian believed to be on his way to testing negative too. In the briefing on Thursday, Abayomi said 19 people were tested with four of them testing positive.

The Commissioner of Health said the first of the four new cases who tested positive to the disease was a woman who had contact with the woman who came from the United Kingdom some days ago who was tested positive.

According to Abayomi, the second new case was a female who returned from France on the 14th of March on a Turkish airline TK 1830. The third case was a Nigerian male in his 50s who had not travelled anywhere but was tested positive to the disease.

Speaking further, the Commissioner of Health revealed that the 4th new case was a Nigerian male who arrived in the country on the 13th of March from Frankfurt to Lagos on Lufthansa airline, flight number LH568.

The Lagos State Commissioner, however, said more tests were still being carried out adding that, “we have a combination of imported cases and local transmission. The Executive of Lagos State is meeting on the next stage of social distancing.

“The best way to slow the rate is to halt the movement of the virus from person to person,” he said.

The Commissioner of Health appealed to people on the two flights to self-isolate themselves and reach the government.

“Currently, we are following over 1,300 people right now to find information about the state of their health and the number is increasing”.