Akin Abayomi, commissioner of health in Lagos state, says there are now three suspected cases of coronavirus in the state.

Abayomi said this at a press briefing on Thursday, disclosing that the patients are currently at the Infectious Disease Hospital in the Yaba area of the state.

The commissioner said the samples of the patients have been taken and the results are being expected.

“We now have 3 suspected cases under isolation in our containment facility in Yaba. One from France, one from England and one from China. Their samples have been taken and results are being expected,” he said.

Nigeria recorded its first confirmed case of the virus on Friday following the arrival of an Italian from Milan, which has the worst case of the disease in Europe.

The patient reportedly lodged in a hotel close to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on February 24 before proceeding to Ewekoro in Ogun state, the next day.

He was said to have manifested symptoms of the virus before he was tested for coronavirus and Infectious Disease Hospital.

The government subsequently announced that 38 persons who had contact with him were traced and isolated.

The disease, which broke out in Wuhan, China, in December has infected more than 80,000 people across the world and led to over 3000 deaths.