Sifax, places staff on quarantine, fumigates terminal after Covid-19 berths at Tin Can port
Samson Echenim is business a.m. correspondent providing coverage for maritime, aviation, travels and hospitality. A former business correspondent at the Punch and Leadership newspapers, he has a vast experience in business reporting. Samson can be reached on samhapp2000@yahoo.com and +2348037363024
Nigeria’s leading indigenous container terminal, Ports & Cargo has carried out fumigation of its facilities at Tincan Island Port in Lagos and placed some workers on quarantine, after the first case of coronavirus in a Nigerian Port was discovered at the terminal owned by Sifax Group.
Sifax in a statement said one of its staffers at the terminal had tested positive to COVID-19, after unwittingly coming in contact with a family member, who had tested positive to the virus.
Sifax stated, “The staff was asymptomatic as at Friday, April 17, 2020, the last day he was in the office. When he realised the said family member, who is his father-in-law, had tested positive, he decided to isolate himself and stayed away from the office.
“It was during his isolation that he developed the symptoms and was eventually diagnosed with the virus. He, alongside his wife and children, who have also tested positive, are currently undergoing treatment at the Landmark Isolation Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
“As a responsible organisation, immediately the affected staff called to officially inform the company of his status, we communicated this development to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Federal Ministry of Health.
“Other colleagues who interacted with the staff have been identified and mandated to isolate immediately while the premises of the terminal have been fumigated.
“We will continue to support both the staff undergoing treatment and those who are in isolation.”