Amid Coronavirus fears in Nigeria, lawmaker raises alarm over non-screening of travelers

Amid coronavirus spread across the world, Deputy Senate Leader, Ajayi Boroffice, on Thursday, February 27, 2020, raised alarm over non-screening of travelers at Nigerian airports.

While speaking on the floor of the senate, Boroffice said upon his arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe airport in Abuja from South Africa on Wednesday, February 26, he realised that passengers were not screened and were only given a sheet of paper to indicate whether they were sick or not.

According to the lawmaker, that is not the case in South Africa as they were screened before he disembarked from the aircraft when he arrived in the country on Friday, February 21.

“I was in South Africa on Friday, I came back yesterday. Because of the issue of coronavirus, every country in the world is taking preventive measures because the wisdom is that prevention is better than cure. In South Africa, we were not allowed to leave the aircraft for 30 good minutes,” The Cable quoted him as saying.

He continued, “Officers of the medical corps came into the aircraft and screened everybody before we were allowed out but I arrived yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport and there was no screening.

“All we were given is a sheet of paper to indicate whether we were sick and whether we have been to one country or the other and how we will be contacted if there is an emergency. How will you trail me? How do you know if I have fallen sick? This is very frightening.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi has declared that the outcome of investigation and laboratory test conducted on a suspected Coronavirus patient shows that there was no case of the deadly disease in the country.

In a recent update, CNBC News reports that the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus has risen to over 81,400, as the death toll is now at least, 2,770.