A Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) employee has tested positive for coronavirus in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.
An
unnamed individual was found to have the illness at an NNPC estate, in
Abuja’s Garki area. The company was forced to deny that there was a
“mass outbreak of coronavirus” at the facility.
The Nigeria Centre
for Disease Control (NCDC) has taken steps to disinfect the apartment,
it said. The case was singular and remains an isolated incident.
The
individual had recently returned from the UK when he was found to have
developed symptoms of the virus. Following this discovery, all the
residents were moved out of the building and put in isolation while the
NCDC carried out work to “eliminate the chances of community infection”.
NNPC
said it was working on public awareness campaigns, both within its
ranks and among the broader population. In particular, it said the
residents of the estate in Garki had been encouraged to adhere to the
various safety measures intended to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
As
of April 5, Nigeria has 232 cases of coronavirus confirmed and five
deaths. Lagos has 120 confirmed cases while Abuja has 47. These two
cities are under lockdown, which has caused a number of difficulties
including driving up food prices.
NNPC has agreed to support the
fight against the virus, providing a 60-bed facility, while a number of
other companies have also announced they would help.
Aiteo
Exploration and Production donated five ambulances, for instance, as
part of a broader 21 billion naira ($54 million) donation. The Sahara
Group has provided bed spaces at the This Day Dome, while China Civil
Engineering Construction Corp. (CCECC) has also chipped in.