Nigerian official says China's measures combating COVID-19 be emulated

China has been successful in reducing its COVID-19 cases by mobilizing the whole country in response to the novel coronavirus, a top Nigerian official said here late Thursday.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, said collective responsibility is required to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the West African country.

Nigerians should adopt the Chinese way of supporting the government, said Ihekweazu, who has been in self-isolation after returning from China recently.

He added that citizens should support the government's response by sharing information from only verified sources, stressing that the present declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic calls for facts, not fear.

Ihekweazu said the government should intensify its efforts of enhancing surveillance at ports and encourage a 14-day quarantine for people coming from countries with confirmed cases.

Maintaining thorough hand washing and respiratory hygiene should become daily habits for Nigerians, not only during outbreaks, said the director-general.

He urged the public to disregard all rumors of new COVID-19 cases in Abuja, the nation's capital, noting that there were only two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country which are being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Lagos.