Nigeria hospital shuts down over COVID-19 fears

ANKARA (AA) – A private hospital in Lagos, Nigeria has suspended its operations for two weeks because of "exposure to COVID-19."

In a statement on Monday, the St. Nicholas Hospital said it had contacted the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, and that the building had been decontaminated.

“The safety of all our staff and patients is of paramount importance to us. As such, we are complying with the directive of the HEFAMAA (Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency) to suspend our services for 2 weeks (April 18 to May 2),” the communique read.

In the meantime, the facility has introduced telemedicine services and the patients could consult doctors via audio and video channels.

Nigerian authorities have so far confirmed 665 coronavirus cases, including 22 deaths and 188 recoveries, according to Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center. The country has a population of about 200 million people.

To slow the spread of the virus, President Muhammadu Buhari has imposed a total lockdown in Lagos, Ogun State and the capital Abuja since March 29.

The restrictions are enforced by law enforcement personnel, who have been accused of human rights violations during the process.