He said apart from the over 40 health workers, there are others “who have been quarantined in the last 2 weeks due to exposure and have not been able to contribute to efforts of the health sector.”

The federal government had earlier barred private hospitals from treating COVID-19 cases, saying many of the health workers there are not trained to handle such a disease.

At least 17 private hospitals in Lagos have admitted that their staff have been exposed to COVID-19 through patients.

The hospitals were subsequently bared from admitting any patients while their buildings are disinfected.

The federal government has now asked private hospitals willing to treat COVID-19 patients to register with their state’s health ministry and ensure proper training of staff.

Nigeria currently has 873 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of these, 197 infected people have recovered and have been discharged while the death toll is 28.