The country of Nigeria is now the second West African state that has declared a national emergency in the hopes of controlling the spread of the deadly Ebola virus. The Wall Street Journal said Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has also gave his approval to the Special Intervention Plan and the release of funds to implement the said government initiative. His office has confirmed the action, and said that an "immediate release" of 1.9 billion naira, or around $11.7 million, to implement the plan has been approved.
In a statement, Jonathan's office justified the move, "(The fund aims to) further strengthen ongoing steps to contain the virus such as the establishment of additional isolation centers, case management, contact tracing, deployment of additional personnel, screening at borders, and the procurement of required items and facilities."
Jonathan has also urged a stop with the movement of infected corpses from one location to another, and assured that the national government has deployed and mobilized all of its sources to contain the spread of the deadly virus in the country. The president insisted that cooperation and vigilance across all levels are key to stop the outbreak in the country.
Daily Mail said that Jonathan's declaration followed the announcement of the country's health ministry that two more patients are confirmed to have been infected of Ebola. Nigeria's Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu announced on Friday that the number of patients infected with Ebola has risen to 9, which include the US national who had died in Lagos and a nurse. Chukwu also said that the Liberian-American, who is identified as government official Patrick Sawyer, is considered patient zero in the country and that all 8 had primary contact with him mostly at the hospital.
Chukwu said that his department is surveilling 139 people suspected of being infected with the 9. He noted that although majority of them are cooperating, there are a few who have been resistant.
"Some people, against our advice have even left Lagos, primary contacts, to go to other cities," he said.
