- Urges Resident To Adhere To Safety Guidelines, Protocols
By Gbenga Abulude (Politics and General Desk)
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday warned that the state could witness a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic as a result of total disregard for safety guidelines and protocols by Lagos residents.
Prof. Akin Abayomi, the state Commissioner for Health, gave the warning and noted that a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in Lagos could affect the plans put in place by the state government to open up the economy, urging residents to strictly adhere to precautionary measures against Covid-19 infection.
Abayomi, a Covid-19 survivor, speaking on the gains made by the state in containing the spread of the virus, explained that many countries and cities are experiencing a second and third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with a resultant spike in the number of cases and fatalities.
He noted that many of the affected countries affected have found it necessary to impose a second lockdown and restriction of movements, which will affect the economy of those countries in the long term.
The Commissioner while recalling the first wave of Covid-19 which began in December 2019 and spread around the world unguarded said “the first case of Covid-19 in Nigeria was recorded in Lagos on February 27, 2020, noting that “Lagos has since become the epicentre of the outbreak in Nigeria with a record of 21,107 confirmed cases and 212 deaths from the virus till date.
“The containment measures put in place at the time included COVID-19 testing, isolation and treatment, surveillance, total shutdown of the state for about 12 weeks and a partial shutdown of social, economic and academic activities for over four months,” he said.
Abayomi, therefore, advised Lagos residents and Nigerians against unnecessary movement and social gatherings, unless it is absolutely necessary stressing that travelling in and outside of the country should be discouraged except when absolutely necessary.
He observed that COVID-19 induced culture of wearing face mask, social distancing, and hand hygiene was gradually waning among residents. Abayomi called for the reinforcement of the adoption and adherence of various preventive measures put in place by the state government to tackle the disease.
“The erroneous belief that COVID-19 has been conquered and is no more in Nigeria should be discarded. Based on our data, this assumption is invalid. It creates a false sense of security amongst the citizens causing many to abandon the use of face masks and other safety measures and protocols put in place by the Government
“Though we have reached our peak as predicted and are now experiencing a decline in the number of positive cases, this is not a reason to conclude that all is over. COVID-19 is still very much with us as evidenced in the number of cases being recorded in the community daily and occasional deaths from severe complications.
“The reason for the decline in COVID-19 cases in Lagos is attributable to a number of factors, including public adherence to safety regulations of physical and social distancing, hand hygiene, use of face mask in public places, expanded testing strategy and contact tracing, among others, and this is the more reason why citizens should not relent in this regard if we don’t want to experience a second wave of the disease,” he said.
While noting that the increasing testing capacity of the state has been very impactful in reducing community transmission, Abayomi urged citizens who fall within the case definition of COVID-19 infection to visit any of the dedicated COVID-19 sample collection sites in their local government or public laboratories to get a test done free of charge.
He noted that early diagnosis allows for prompt and adequate management and care, resulting in the prevention of transmission to other citizens; particularly, vulnerable and elderly members of society who may have underlying predispositions.
The commissioner stressed that Covid-19 testing for other purposes, such as traveling is not part of the public health response, noting that they can be done at any of the 10 government accredited private laboratories.
Abayomi said, “It is important to put in place the right understanding for the reasons to request and where to source a COVID-19 test. If you are displaying symptoms within the case definition of COVID-19, you can get a free test at any of the four designated COVID-19 public health laboratories or get a sample taken at any of our LCDA sample collection centers; however, if you require testing for any other reason such as occupational-related requirements or simple curiosity, then you may visit any of the 10 accredited private laboratories or book a test online on the portal covid19.lagosstatebiobank.com or the National portal specific for travelers on nitp.ncdc.gov.ng.”
He explained that Lagos State has a quality assurance process for every test that is done within its boundaries noting that the importance of overseeing the process cannot be overemphasized because COVID-19 is a public health care emergency.
The commissioner noted that the state is also providing free of charge all social amenities, such as the EKOTELEMED service, the delivery of COVID-19 Care packs, sample collection logistics as well as monitoring and validation of all laboratories and isolation centers. “We are doing everything required to maintain a high quality of testing and care within the boundaries of Lagos State”, Abayomi stated.
Abayomi, however, assured that the Lagos State Governor and Incident Commander, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is very committed to protecting the lives and livelihood of its residents as the state continues to permit a gradual return to socio-economic activities.
