ABUJA, March 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Nigerian Army is preparing to forcibly transfer the sick to hospital and enforce curbs on movement to try to shield the country from coronavirus, and is leasing equipment for “possible mass burial”, according to an army memo.
The memo from Army headquarters also outlines plans to protect government food storage from looters as Africa’s most populous nation braces for the illness to spread further in the country.
“Following the rise and continuous spread in cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria, the (Chief of Army Staff) has deemed it necessary for all to take protective measures to ensure the safety of (Nigerian Army) personnel and their families,” the memo said.
The memo said the army is suspending all leave passes for all personnel and called for them to be on “maximum security alert and be ready for deployment.”
There are currently 46 confirmed cases in Nigeria, and one death, but the infection has hit the top levels of society, infecting President Muhammadu Buhari’s chief of staff.
Buhari has tested negative for the COVID-19 virus (Coronavirus), following a test for the disease that was carried out on the president by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The NCDC has informed the president on the outcome his negative result.
According to presidential sources, the test for the president was necessitated after his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
Kyari had travelled to Germany on Saturday, March 7 to meet with officials of Siemens in Munich on the Nigerian electricity expansion programme.
He returned on March 14, but did not show any symptoms.
He was said to have been at a meeting on containing the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria all through Sunday, where he reportedly started to cough.
Subsequently, he voluntarily submitted himself for testing and was informed of his positive status Monday.
Kyari has however gone into absolute isolation following the test result.
Separately, Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo is in self-isolation and performing official duties through video conferencing, according to his spokesperson Laolu Akande.
Akande said the vice-president was observing social distancing and following protocols outlined by the NCDC.
The West African country announced two new cases of Coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 46. There are fears the numbers could rise.
Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said the two new cases involve people who had returned to the country in the last seven days.
With a population of 200 million, 20 million of whom are packed in the commercial capital of Lagos, many fear the virus could spread quickly without containment.
The virus has swept across the world, killing thousands and forcing millions into quarantine. Several nations have activated armed forces to help combat it. — NNN-AGENCIES
