......May divert vessels from Mauritius

Eromosele Abiodun
Following the outbreak of Coronavirus also known as COVID-19, the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) has placed vessels coming into the country from Asia on red alert, due to the high rate of infection from the region.

As a further measure, the NPA said it has agreed with shipping companies to divert vessels whose crewmembers’ are showing symptoms of the virus from Mauritius, which is regarded as the gateway to Africa.

The Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala-Usman, disclosed this at a sensitisation programme for terminal operators, shipping companies and Dockworkers at the Lagos ports complex, Apapa.

Represented by the General Manager Corporate and Strategic Communications, Adams Jatto she said personnel from the Port Health are fully on ground to avoid the spread of the virus through the ports.

She stressed the need for the support of all stakeholders to forestall the spread of the virus at the nation seaport.

The NPA boss said the authority has commenced plan to set up isolation centers at the ports to curb the spread of the virus from the seaports.

She said, “We are aware that the virus is spreading round the world in a very rapid form and of course there is need for us to curtail it, and we have been informed that there is no cure to this disease and the best thing for us to do is to have a precautionary preventive measure for us to ensure that it does not spread, so on the basis of this we have to call the terminal operators and of course the stakeholders for us to rub minds together and see how best we can do to curtail this menace.

“Of course, we have done a lot of things on the part of NPA to ensure we prevent the spread of this disease, as we know the port is one of the entry points into the country, that is why we deem it fit for us to discuss what we have done and of course what is expected of the terminal operators for them to be able to curtail this menace.

“We have had collaborative efforts for us to fight this disease, we have seen what they have done, and the necessary medical materials are in each of the terminals.”

“We have been told they have sanitisers as preventive measure for dock workers who access the vessels and there are things they said we should do which I believe the management will be able to take care of,” she said.

In her presentation, the Director Medical Services, NPA, Christy Akpa, said 90 South Korea and Japan report more cases of coronavirus, while another Chinese city near the eastern Asian countries was stepping up restrictions on travelers.

Akpa, said the agency was already making arrangement for isolation centre to hold the people that are sick on board vessels.

“I want to assure the whole nation that NPA is well prepared to handle any incident of suspected case of coronavirus on board.

“We are collaborating with port health services of the Federal Ministry of Health and we are also in collaboration with the Lagos state government through the Commissioner of Health and I want to assure everyone that we are screening temperature of every port users.

“We are also working with port health to ensure that all the crew on board are administered the passengers declaration form and also we have developed a weekly log, knowing the incubation period of this coronavirus, so we don’t just scan your temperature, once like that, we are constantly monitoring and keeping this log on daily basis, even when there is no confirmed incident,” she stated.

“We are making arrangement for isolation centres to hold this people that are sick, while we bring in the state government that will isolate all, take them to isolation centres with dedicated isolation ambulances.

“We have already heightened our alert on ships that are coming from Iran, Taiwan China or any other countries that have been affected by this virus.

When these ship berth, we don’t just leave them, we continue to monitor until the ship sails out of our territorial waters. It is mandatory that we continue to monitor to ensure that we fight this virus,” she said.

A Nigerian at the weekend tested positive to Coronavirus, in the United States, the Mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser said.

Announcing this at a press briefing yesterday, she said the Nigerian who passed through the US capital city underwent the test in Maryland, and that the state has commenced contact tracing on those he met in Washington DC.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/03/09/npa-places-asian-vessels-on-red-alert-over-covid-19/amp/

Hmmmm. Nigeria. God please send down the cure for this virus.

Garlic cure's CoviD19 let them in NPA

Nawa

Was @ the market on Saturday and things are already going up......they said it's because goods are not coming in from China.......I just imagined what will happen if after six months the virus is still here without cure.......God please help us.

Great

Good move... Better safe than sorry.

kk

Check my Signature

Better

We don't want story that touch

Abeg oh

junketer:
Hmmmm. Nigeria. God please send down the cure for this virus.

Leave God out of this.
Pray for the scientists who are currently working on a cure..

Naija leaders if them see something wer go harm dem, dem go take serious action

This should HV been done since now abi are they just waking up from a DEEP SLEEP ?

Witcher:
Garlic can cure CoviD19 let them in NPA

Una don start abi

ebola salt water crew

Witcher:
Garlic can cure CoviD19 let them in NPA

What prove have you got on that

Government is doing little or nothing at Port Harcourt ports to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Most containers recieved at the ports are from Asian countries and officers are not given the right gadgets while inspecting these containers thereby putting them at high risk as regards the disease.

First step to prevention. Awesome move by the Government. All we hope for is that it stands
For your smart TVs and Soundsystems, check my signature

What a timely intervention. O ya yin gan.

ChaoHendrix:


Leave God out of this.
Pray for the scientists who are currently working on a cure..

So who are you praying to.?

Na now you wake up
Better late than never, but they should not even allow any ship from Asia and Europe to dock until 14 days after it arrives at our shores! I understand we need the supplies, but let them live in their ship for an extra 14 days, then test those showing symptoms!

dre11:
......May divert vessels from Mauritius


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/03/09/npa-places-asian-vessels-on-red-alert-over-covid-19/amp/

Incompetent fools...example, is Italy an Asian country?

Ok