No Nigerian in China is Infected with Coronavirus, Says Ambassador

* 17,205 people infected, 361 dead

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Chinese government has said that no Nigerian in the Wuhan Province, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, is affected by the deadly virus that has ravaged the country.

The Ambassador of China to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian, while addressing a press conference on Monday in Abuja, also revealed that a total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection has climbed to 17, 205 and 21,558 people were suspected of being infected.

The ambassador lamented that some countries are overreacting by denying Chinese visas to their country, saying it is not the best way to tackle the epidemic.

He said: “As of 7:00 am Abuja time today (Monday), the total number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection climbed to 17,205 and 21,558 people were suspected of being infected with the virus in the Chinese mainland, according to China’s National Health Commission.

“A total of 361 people have died of the disease. 475 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery. These are not numbers, these are lives, families, communities. This is going to be an unforgettable Spring Festival for the Chinese, as families are separated but united to stand together in the face of the disease.”
Pingjian stressed that fighting the spread of the epidemic is a common concern of the international community, adding that China was willing to work with other countries in the world, including Nigeria, to respond to the epidemic actively.

According to him, the Chinese government has taken the most comprehensive and rigorous containment and mitigation measures, adding that there are 60 Nigerians in Wuhan north and none of them is infected with the virus.

The ambassador also assured Nigerians that the Chinese government is committed to safeguarding the safety and health of the Chinese people, adding that it would also in a responsible manner, safeguard the life of every foreign national in China, including the Nigerian expatriates and address their legitimate concerns in a timely manner.

Pingjian noted that the Chinese government has kept very smooth communication with foreign embassies in China to keep them abreast of how to contain the virus, while the embassy in Abuja is not sleeping about the virus.
Despite the spread of the virus, he said that the embassy has not stopped issuing visas to those who plan to visit China.

The Chinese government said it was not the first time it is facing such epidemic, adding that Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARA) broke out in the country in 2003 and it was contained, while insisting that it has the capability to contain the spread of the virus.