The Federal Government on Monday said Nigeria had 40 coronavirus cases and one death caused by the disease.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, had earlier at a press conference in Abuja on Monday said the country had 36.
But at 11 pm on Monday, the National Centre for Disease Control on its twitter handle said the cases had increased to 40.
The centre stated, “Four new cases of #COVID19 have been confirmed in Nigeria. Three are in Lagos State and one in the FCT (Federal Capital Territory). Two of these cases are returning travellers
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“As of 11:00 pm on March 23, there are 40 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria. Two have been discharged with one death recorded.”
The NCDC announced the new cases just as the Federal Government ordered the complete closure of land borders to human traffic and postponed the Federal Executive Council and the Council of State meetings indefinitely.
The Federal Government also advised Lagos and Abuja residents to stay at home to prevent the spread of the disease.
Giving an update on COVID-19 cases, Ehinare said the Federal Government would publish names of people who refused to go into self-isolation after returning to Nigeria from countries with a high burden of coronavirus.
He said Nigeria could be heading the way of China and Italy, which had recorded a high number of coronavirus cases and deaths. The health minister said some people who had been infected were hiding.
Nigeria recorded its first coronavirus case on February 27 when an Italian was diagnosed with the disease, but the Federal Government then rejected advice that it should ban flights from high-risk countries.
The government on Thursday banned flights from 13 high-risk countries when the cases increased to 18.
The cases rose to 31 on Sunday with the disease spreading to Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, and Ekiti states, as well the Federal Capital Territory.
