Cement manufacturer, Lafarge Africa plc. said the number of persons quarantined at its Ewekoro Plant in Ogun State, as primary or secondary contacts with the Italian Coronavirus patient now being treated in Lagos have risen from 28 announced on Friday to 39 as at Saturday.
Lafarge Director, Segun Soyoye, said the number of quarantined persons rose by 11 after identification of the driver who picked the infected Italian from hotel in Ikeja and those that served him food and drinks.
Soyoye who spoke during a visit to the Lafarge Facility by a team from the Ogun state government, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and World Health Organisation (WHO) also said the guest House where the Italian passed nights, the vehicles and ambulance used to convey him and others who were with him while his time in Ewekoro lasted have also been identified and quarantined.
He however noted that the Italian who came to inspect some machines installed at the factory didn’t go beyond Lafarge guest and was evacuated upon developing high temperature suggesting development of Coronavirus.
“The Italian came for a business visit. He was in Lagos on Monday and slept at Airport Hotel, Ikeja. Our driver took him there, and when we observed abnormal temperatures and symptoms, we quickly instituted an Emergency Response Team which is led by the Company CEO, we have to find a way of analysing and identifying not only the Italian but also the other contacts.
“The contacts are now 39 and we have quarantined them, the house and clinic as well as the vehicles. We don’t take chances that is why they are put there.
“Today is Day 3, they will be there for 14 days, we will continue to observe them, we have their database, showing their biodata and other information.
“The doctor is here and what he is doing is to check them on a regular basis, so far everybody is stable, they are not symptomatic, we are providing everything for them over there.
“The other thing that I have not said is that the clinic that was used for the infected person is closed, disinfected and we moved everybody out, all the guys at duty that day, they were also quarantined, so they will be there for 14 days as well.”