Access Bank and Ecobank have temporarily closed their branches visited by two persons that tested positive for Coronavirus.
In a tweet thread this morning, the Minister of Health, Dr Ehanire Osagie disclosed that the first fatality from the COVID-19 in Nigeria was a man that had just returned from the UK and had underlying illnesses, which were further aggravated by his COVID-19 infections.
However, in a statement released by Ecobank titled, “Very Urgent Information on Covid-19,” the Pan-African bank disclosed that its attention had been drawn to the fact that the deceased visited their Wuse II, Abuja branch on the 12 March 2020, twelve days ago.
The bank stated that the fatal case, who has reportedly been identified as Suleiman Achimugu, a former Pipelines and Products Marketing Company boss, did not show any symptom of the virus when he visited the branch and had since the discovery yesterday, temporarily closed the affected branch.
It stated that all staff at the location had been put in mandatory self-isolation for 14 days, in compliance with the directive of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
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Ecobank advised anyone, who visited the branch between 12 March 2020 and 23 March 2020, to take the necessary recommended step of self-isolation for 14 days and should they feel any symptoms to contact the NCDC.
Access Bank, also in a statement, confirmed that an individual, who visited their Ligali Ayorinde Branch on Monday 16th March 2020, has also tested positive for Coronavirus. The bank added that the case was symptom-free at the time he visited the branch and he is currently being monitored at an Isolation Centre.
The largest bank in the country by assets, according to the statement, disclosed that it had temporarily closed the branch for thorough disinfection with persons who had contact with the concerned individual currently in isolation.
Access Bank advised anyone, who had visited the branch in the last week, to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days starting immediately.
However, as the battle to curb the COVID-19 continues, as of 11 pm 23 March 2020, 42 cases of the virus had been confirmed in Nigeria: Lagos 28, FCT 7, Ogun 2, Edo 1, Ekiti 1, Oyo 1; 2 discharged and 1 death.