Tobias Sylvester
Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, ordered the police to block the gates of areas accommodating a large number of Chinese nationals in the state, over fears of the spread of the deadly coronavirus COVID-19.
The order comes after majority of the Chinese who traveled to China to celebrate the yuletide season with their families returned to Nigeria amid the outbreak of the virus.
The Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Communications, Remmy Hazzan told newsmen that security agents were deployed to the apartment of “returning Chinese nationals” to ensure an effective “self isolation”.
According to him, the action would stop the possibility of any of them manifesting coronavirus symptoms without being noticed by the concerned authorities.
“What we have done is to effect self-isolation (of returning Chinese nationals) in the places where they live,” Hazzan said.
“We have them in quarries; some in farms and the estate in Ogun-Quandong Free Trade Zone, Igbesa, is 100 per cent Chinese.
“These nationals are isolated in these places. As a matter of fact, we have security officials manning the entrances to all these places to forestall any breach.
“We also have people running errands for them (Chinese) to forestall the likelihood of anyone trying to go into neighbouring towns.”
Meanwhile, three persons suspected to have been infected with Coronavirus are currently undergoing tests in Lagos State.
The Commissioner of Health in the state, Akin Abayomi said the samples of the 3 patients have been taken and the results are being expected.
