The authorities at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday commenced screening of staff and visitors as part of deliberate efforts to check possible spread of coronavirus.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the measures adopted against the deadly virus by the State House included introduction of hand sanitisers at strategic positions at the presidential villa.

Some staff, who spoke with NAN on the development, lauded the management of the State House for taking such hygiene precautions to guide against the spread of the virus.

Kabiru Yusuf urged government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as private organisations and establishments to emulate the State House by putting in place similar measures to check the influx of the virus.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday began two weeks break over a possible of coronavirus.

The lawmakers said the suspension of plenary was to enable the management install facilities to screen and detect the deadly virus.

Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, had on February 27, confirmed the index case of COVID-19 coronavirus disease in Lagos, Lagos State.

Mr Ehanire, a medical doctor, declared that the first established patient was an Italian who work in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy, to Lagos, Nigeria on February 25, 2020.

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), thereafter released a public health advisory on the COVID-19 to Nigerians, which included frequent washing of hands with soap under running water or use of alcohol-based sanitisers when water was not available.

However, the recommendation of sanitisers as one of the measures that could reduce the risk of COVID-19 has brought about a sudden increase in demand for the product across Nigeria.

(NAN)