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A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 29 February 2020
Nigeria confirms 1st case of new virus in sub-Saharan Africa

By BASHIR ADIGUN and reached there in 2014 af-
CARA ANNA ter an infected man from
Associated Press Liberia landed in Lagos.
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Ni- Nineteen people were in-
gerian authorities on Friday fected and seven died, but
confirmed the first case of officials were praised for ef-
the new coronavirus in sub- fective public awareness
Saharan Africa as the out- campaigns.
break spread to a region "The Ebola outbreak taught
with some of the world's us a lot of lessons," the di-
weakest health systems. rector of the Nigeria Center
The health commissioner for Disease Control, Chikwe
for Lagos, Africa's largest Ihekweazu, wrote in a com-
city with more than 20 mil- mentary for The Conversa-
lion people, said an Italian tion last month. As of De-
citizen who entered Nigeria cember, all 36 of Nigeria's
on Tuesday from Milan on a states had a rapid response
business trip fell ill the next team in case of a disease
day. Commissioner Akin outbreak, he wrote, and 22
Abayomi said the man was states had emergency op-
clinically stable with no seri- A woman wearing a face mask walks at the Yaba Mainland hospital where an Italian citizen who erations centers.
ous symptoms. entered Nigeria on Tuesday from Milan on a business trip, the first case of the COVID-19 virus is Nigeria is also currently
Abayomi said officials were being treated in Lagos Nigeria Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. dealing with an outbreak
working to identify all of the Associated Press of Lassa fever — an indi-
man's contacts in Nigeria. cent days. Until then, some Global Health Network at CDC had anticipated that cation of the health chal-
The Italian had traveled on global health experts had the Nuffield Department COVID-19 outbreak would lenges that many African
Turkish Airlines to Istanbul expressed surprise that no of Medicine and the Uni- inevitably impact Africa nations face.
and then to Lagos, accord- cases had been reported versity of Oxford, said in a and has been working ac- With the new virus case an-
ing to health authorities. in Africa. statement. But detection tively with African Union nounced in Nigeria, Africa's
Lagos state early this month Concerns about the vi- of further cases in Africa Member States and part- most populous country with
advised people arriving rus spreading to countries will be challenging as more ners on preparedness and 190 million people and nu-
from virus-affected areas with weaker health systems inexpensive testing kits are response to the disease in merous air links around the
to observe 14 days of self- led the World Health Or- needed for on-the-spot di- the continent. " continent and beyond,
quarantine. ganization to declare the agnosis, Lang added. Most African airlines with other nations warned of
"I have seen him this morn- outbreak a global health The Africa Centers for Dis- direct flights to China possible spread.
ing, he is in high spirits," emergency last month. ease Control and Preven- quickly suspended them, "Given these recent devel-
said Dr. Bowale Abimbola, WHO officials in Africa have tion has hurried to train its and countries activated opments globally and in
medical director of the warned that health systems 54 member countries in surveillance and quaran- Africa, it is not unlikely that
hospital where the 44-year- could be overwhelmed. testing for the virus. Just two tine measures. Many had we will have importation of
old Italian was brought with Nigeria is one of 13 African countries had the capabil- experience with trying to COVID-19 to South Africa,"
body aches and fever. "He countries classified by the ity at the beginning of this prevent the spread of the that country's National In-
is doing well and we ex- WHO as high priority in this month. Now more than two devastating West Africa stitute for Communicable
pect that he will continue outbreak because of direct dozen have it, including Ni- Ebola outbreak that ended Diseases said.
to do well." links to China or a high num- geria. in 2016. Global health ex- Separately, South Africa
Nigerian health authori- ber of visitors from there. Africa Centers for Disease perts point to that as a sign said two citizens who had
ties urged Lagos residents That Nigeria's first case Control has deployed an of preparedness in this out- been working on the Prin-
to take measures such as came from overseas and epidemiologist to Nigeria break. The Africa CDC was cess Diamond cruise ship
keeping their distance from wasn't person-to-person and shipped 1,000 addi- created in response to the have the virus and will stay
people who cough and transmission inside Africa tional testing kits, accord- Ebola outbreak, and many in Japan for treatment.
washing their hands regu- "shows that the Nigerian ing to Africa CDC director countries established pub- South Africa said it was in-
larly. government had the right Dr. John Nkengasong. lic health institutes. formed by Japanese au-
Cases of the virus also were systems in place to detect "Nigeria is well capaci- Nigeria was praised for thorities Tuesday after the
confirmed in Egypt and Al- and confirm this case," tated to respond to the quickly containing cases quarantine on the ship
geria in north Africa in re- Trudie Lang, director of The outbreak," he said. "Africa when the Ebola outbreak ended. q

Cyprus says Turkey deliberately sent it migrants for months

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS continue to accept (migrants) in such num- Nouris said Cyprus currently hosts 21,000 asylum
Associated Press bers," Nouris told The Associated Press. seekers — or 3.8% of its population. Most are
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus' interior minister The Cypriot government sees this as a long-run- from the Middle East, chiefly Syria, and Asia. An-
on Friday accused Turkey of deliberately chan- ning issue. other 12,000 have been granted asylum.
neling migrants for months to the ethnically- Unlike fellow European Union-member Greece, Cyprus is looking to the EU for additional finan-
divided island's Greek Cypriot south to change Cyprus did not see a wave of migrants trying to cial and material support to help cope with mi-
the composition of its population. enter Friday after Turkey said it would no lon- grant inflows.
Nicos Nouris said up to two-thirds of arriving ger hold them back following its military losses Nouris was in Brussels last week to argue for a
migrants reach the internationally-recognized in Syria. comprehensive EU migration policy allowing a
south through the breakaway Turkish Cypriot Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974 when fairer distribution of migrants who have been
north that's recognized only by Turkey. Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters granted asylum.
"We maintain that there is a very specific pur- of union with Greece. Cyprus joined the EU in He said European Commission Vice-President
pose and aim, which is to alter the island's de- 2004, but only the Greek Cypriot south enjoys Margaritis Schinas will visit Cyprus in the near fu-
mographic character, and clearly we cannot full membership benefits. ture to assess the situation.q