An Indian staff of Onshore Construction Company, an instrumentation contracting firm with Dangote Fertilizer Limited, who had shown symptoms associated with COVID-19 and subsequently isolated, has been confirmed negative.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed the outcome of the test via his Twitter handle said, “An Indian national that was admitted in our facility yesterday (Monday) night with symptoms suggestive of #COVID19 has tested negative to #COVID19.
“He is doing perfectly well in our isolation unit. His case will be reviewed in the morning (Wednesday)”, the tweet added.
It would be recalled that the management of Dangote Industries Limited had announced that an Indian national working for a third party firm at its fertilizer plant had shown up at the site clinic exhibiting symptoms suggestive of Covid-19 pandemic and was immediately quarantined and taken to the Lagos Mainland Hospital, Yaba.
According to the company, “the patient’s complaint triggered our COVID-19 Preparation and Prevention Protocols which necessitated further screening and isolation immediately.”
DIL said one Mr. Akhil Kunyil, of the Health and Safety Environment unit of the Onshore Company had reported the development to it, following which local authorities were contacted.
“The suspected COVID-19 patient was immediately moved to the Lagos Mainland Hospital where he was placed in isolation ward for confirmatory test, which later turned out to be negative.
“As an organization we have taken the following stringent proactive measures across our entire group. These include: As an organization we have taken the following stringent proactive measures across our entire group:
1) Development of a comprehensive risk identification, control priotization and escalation plan executed by our Co-Vid19 Task Force constituted in January 2020.
2) Identification and retention of a competent team of medical consultants
3) Travel ban for all employees to/from high risk countries as per W.H.O publications of country exposures
4) Travel tracking of all employees and contractors staff arriving/leaving Nigeria and obligations for completion of medical checks to validate health status
5) Implementation of use of Thermal cameras across our various sites as well as infrared thermometers checking in smaller office locations
6) Identification and creation where applicable of holding, isolation and quarantine areas.
7) Implementation of use of sanitizers across all locations: sites and offices
8) Multiple and continuous awareness campaigns on preventative measures to be taken (both electronic and physical i.e posters, public announcements)
The measures, the company management said are being continually updated as the situation globally evolves and will continue to do so. “The welfare of our employees and the nation as a whole remains our utmost priority.”, it added.