Lassa fever: One dead as Umahi shuts hospital, quarantines staff, patients

Governor of Ebonyi state, David Umahi yesterday shut down St Vincent Hospital, Igbeagu in Izzi local government area of the state, quarantined staff and patients following Lassa fever outbreak that killed one Ephraim Ogaranya who was admitted at the hospital.

The order came immediately after the victim, who was said to have been admitted with his sibling, died at the hospital forcing Umahi to close the hospital and ordering all the patients and staff of said hospital to submit themselves to the virology center at Abakaliki for comprehensive medical examination. He further directed that all the family members and close relatives of the above be quarantined at the Virology Center for comprehensive medical examination.

In a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Umahi placed precautionary measures on further escalation of the outbreak, directing that reports of the progress of the actions of the above directives get to him every two hours.