Coronavirus: 19 more workers in Ibadan company test positive

57 members of staff of one company in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, had first announced on Saturday, May 16, 2020, that 30 staff members from the organisation tested positive.

Eight more also tested positive for the disease from the same organisation on Sunday, May 17.

In the latest update made public in the early hours of Tuesday, May 19, Makinde said all 19 new cases recorded in the state on Monday are employees of the same company.

"The COVID-19 confirmation tests for nineteen suspected cases came back POSITIVE.

"All nineteen of these cases are from the same organisation referred to in the update of May 16 and 17, 2020," he announced.

The identity of the company will be revealed later on Tuesday, according to Makinde who said on Monday he was waiting for the state's Emergency Operations Centre to gather relevant intelligence and complete investigations.

He said publicly naming the company will ensure anyone who has visited its premises recently will be able to present themselves for testing.

The only currently known information about the company in question is that it is based in the Ibadan South West local government area, and has been shut down for decontamination.

216 new cases recorded

Nigeria recorded 216 new coronavirus cases in 15 states across the country on Monday.

The country has now recorded a total of 6,175 coronavirus cases in 34 states and the FCT.

Monday's update also revealed that nine people died from coronavirus-related complications, raising the total tally to 191.

50 patients were also released across the country on Monday after recovering from the coronavirus disease.

A total of 1,644 people have now been released after recovery, since the country recorded its index case in February.

Earlier on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered that precision lockdown be implemented in areas recording high rates of coronavirus infections in the country.

Without providing details, the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, who made the announcement, said the lockdown will be implemented in states, or in metropolitan and high-burden local government areas that are reporting a rapidly increasing number of cases, when the need arises.

Buhari also approved an aggressive scaling up of efforts to ensure communities are informed, engaged, and participating in the response with enhanced public awareness in high-risk areas.

Mustapha appealed to Nigerians to continue to adhere to preventive measures announced by authorities to contain the spread of the virus as it may likely not go away any time soon.

"Nigeria is not where we wish to be in terms of control, ownership, infrastructure, and change of behaviour. We must do more," he said.