COVID-19: Chinese On Ethiopian Airlines Test Negative

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, says the Chinese man who arrived in Lagos aboard an Ethiopian Airline with cough on March 2 has tested negative for COVID-19.

Abayomi made the disclosure through his Twitter handle @ProfAkinAbayomi on Tuesday evening in Lagos.

The commissioner had earlier said that the Chinese was exhibiting symptoms of the virus, thus necessitating his being isolated at the airport.

Abayomi said that samples collected from him and tested at the Biosecurity laboratory came out negative.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan China on Dec. 31, 2019, and had since spread to 64 other countries.

Nigeria on Feb. 28 confirmed its first case of COVID-19, making it the third African country to confirm the virus.

The virus was brought into the country by an Italian citizen who entered Nigeria on Feb. 25 from Milan, Italy for a brief business visit.

The index case was confirmed on Feb. 27, and is currently being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.