The Federal Ministry of Health has confirmed 10 new cases of Coronavirus in Abuja and Lagos.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), nine out of the 10 cases have travel history outside Nigeria in the last one week, while the 10th case is a close contact of a confirmed case.

While urging Nigerians to maintain social distancing and other measures, the NCDC in a tweet on Saturday, March 21, 2020, disclosed that all new cases have mild to moderate symptoms, and are being managed at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and Infectious Disease Hospital, Lagos.

However, in a report by The Punch, one of the new cases is said to be an official of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and was one of the passengers on British Airways flight that landed on March 13, 2020.

A medical doctor who disclosed the development to the newspaper said the three patients in the Federal Capital Territory had been moved to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.

The source said, “The bad news is that three samples from the FCT (Federal Capital Territory) suspected cases tested positive for coronavirus. We have got in touch with the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and we are moving them immediately. We will give more details as soon as possible concerning their flights, contact tracing and other protocols.

“COVID-19 is in Abuja now. One of the passengers on the British Airways flight works with the FIRS and he is among those who tested positive. His wife tested negative. We are hoping that all biometric sign in at the FIRS headquarters in Wuse Zone 5 stops with immediate effect.”

Another source who is said to be an official of the Federal Ministry of Health told the newspaper that the cases have been reported to the ministry.

The official said, “Yes, we were notified on Friday about three cases by a hospital in Abuja. We are doing our own round of testing because we cannot rely on their own result and we don’t want to cause panic among Nigerians.

“The minister of health will make the official announcement once we are very sure.”

Coronavirus cases in Nigeria have now increased to twenty-two.