The Lagos State government has urged residents to adhere strictly to preventive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 to avoid a repeat of the situation that led to the lockdown of the state.
Lagos Health Commissioner, Professor Akin Abayomi, issued the warning on Tuesday saying that an up-turn of COVID-19 cases in Lagos may lead to the reversal of the strategically planned measures put in place by the government to open up the economy.
On efforts being made by the government to preserve the gains that have been recorded so far, he noted that many countries and cities were experiencing a second and third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic due to a rise in the number of cases and fatalities.
Abayomi said many of the affected countries have imposed a second wave of lockdown and restriction of movements, that can affect the socio-economic and security of the country.
“The first case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was recorded in Lagos State on the 27th of February 2020. Lagos State has since then become the epicentre of the outbreak in Nigeria with a record of 21,107 confirmed cases and 212 deaths from the virus till date,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the spokesperson for the ministry.
He added, “The containment measures for COVID-19 included 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.”
The commissioner warned that the continuous flagrant disregard of safety guidelines by citizens may lead to the second wave of new COVID-19 infections in Lagos.
He, therefore, advised residents to avoid unnecessary movement and social gatherings, unnecessary travels either locally or internationally should be avoided.
Abayomi called for the adoption and obedience of various COVID-19 preventive measures. He stated, “ Based on our data the assumption that COVID-19 has been eradicated in Nigeria is false. “The belief creates a false sense of security amongst the citizens, causing many to safety and preventive measures and protocols put in place by the government.”
The commissioner noted that the widespread increasing COVID-19 testing capacity of the state has been very helpful in reducing community transmission, but urged residents who experiences COVID-19 symptoms to visit any of the dedicated sample collection sites in their local government or public laboratories to get a test done free of charge.
According to him, early diagnosis of the infection allows prompt management and care, resulting in the prevention of transmission to other citizens, particularly, vulnerable and elderly members of society who may have underlying predispositions.
