Nigeria isolates three people over coronavirus fears

The health minister of Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, has confirmed the authorities have isolated three people suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus strain.

The three are at a containment facility in the Yaba area of the city as a precaution against the possible spread of the virus. Samples have been collected and the results will be released later.

Nigeria confirmed its first coronavirus case on 27 February, which was also the first in sub-Saharan Africa.

Akin Abayomi, Lagos state's commissioner for health, said one of the three is a Nigerian who had returned into the city on Monday after spending seven days in France. He later developed a headache and respiratory symptoms.

He tweeted that the other cases involved travellers from the UK and China.

The country's confirmed case is an Italian citizen, who works in Nigeria and flew into Lagos from Milan on 25 February. He was reported to be stable with no serious symptoms.

Elsewhere on the continent, South Africa, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt have also confirmed cases of the disease.

This article originally appeared on BBC News 

Photo: AFP