Moshood Adebayo and Chinelo Obogo
Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, said six persons who have recovered and tested negative for coronavirus have been discharged from from the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba.
A female and five males have been discharged to reunite with their families.
According to him, the discharge of the patients – five males and a female – brings the number of patients discharged from the state to 61.
‘’For us, this is significant and indicative of our will power to triumph in this war against the lethal COVID19. We won’t be deterred and we will not relent until victory is achieved,’’ he said.
As at 9.30 p.m on April 12, there were 323 confirmed cases of COVID19 pandemic in the country, while 85 had been discharged with 10 deaths.
There is also a reduction of new positive cases of the pandemic and majority in stable condition, 85 were treated and discharged.
Lagos remains the epicentre with 176 cases, 56 cases in FCT, 20 in Osun, 12 in Edo, 11 in Oyo, 11 in Bauchi, six in Akwa Ibom, five each in Katsina and Kwara four, Kaduna six, Ogun seven, two each in Enugu, Ekiti, Delta, Ondo and Rivers, and one each in Benue, Niger, Anambra and Kano states.
The agency have also tested over 5,000 Nigerians for COVID-19 across the country.
Meanwhile, eight out of 140 Nigerians who applied to the Nigerian High Commission in London, to be evacuated have tested positive for COVID-19, Daily Sun learnt.
Following the announcement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama that the Federal Government would evacuate Nigerians living in the UK and other countries who wished to return to the country, 140 people applied to the Nigerian Mission in London.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) and embassies in various countries are coordinating the evacuation. Part of the condition given to the returnees is that they have to test for COVID19 and be negative, and upon arrival in Nigeria be quarantined for 14 days before being allowed to reunite with their families. Those to be repatriated would also bear the cost of their airfare.
Daily Sun, however, learnt that out of the 140 that applied, 40 submitted themselves for the COVID19 test in the UK and of that number, eight tested positive. It was learnt that the Nigerian High Commission had instructed those who tested positive to surrender themselves to the British authorities for treatment and disclose those whom they came into contact with for tracing.
In a similar development, it was also learnt that out of the 24 Nigerians in Togo who applied to return to Nigeria, two tested positive for coronavirus and were bared from travelling to Nigeria alongside the 22 who returned to Nigeria and are currently being quarantined in Badagary.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier released a memo stating that the Federal Government will assist in airlifting stranded Nigerians abroad who wish to return to the country.
The government however said medical experts advised that it was better for individuals to remain where they are, as people travelling from one place to the other stand a higher risk of getting infected with COVID19.
In Nigeria, over 2,000 foreign nationals from the US, Canada, Germany, Lebanon, Egypt, South Africa and Israel have been evacuated by their countries with the UK set to commence its own evacuation in the coming days.