Lagos laments increasing cases of Covid-19, plans to open more isolation center

Babajide Sanwo-Olu

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has expressed deep-concern over the daily increase in cases of Covid-19 in the state. Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said this at the unveiling of MED-IN Pharmaceuticals Intravenous Fluid Factory in Sagamu, Ogun State, on Thursday.

The governor said, “Let me remind everybody that in Lagos we are under severe stress and strain of the third wave. We are diagnosing between 100 and 300 new cases every day. Our isolation facilities are full and filling up every day. We are creating more space as we speak, I’ll just like to appeal to everybody that COVID-19 is not over. We don’t know how many more waves we are going to experience and so it is important that we stick to the non- pharmaceutical interventions.

“As I came in here, I saw people shaking hands and hugging; I think the elbow greeting is appropriate for this time. If you shake someone’s hand, you are in a position of either transmitting or receiving the virus. Let us try and exercise caution, we are struggling in Lagos, we don’t wish that on other state but we are holding out as much as we can. We hope that this wave is not going to be larger than the second wave,” Sanwo-Olu said.

In another development, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, has said the state will not hesitate to reopen the isolation centers that have been shut if the need be. He urged residents of the state to adhere to non-pharmaceutical protocols of COVID-19.