Covid-19: Isolation centres in Lagos overflowing with patients- Sanwo- Olu
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday raised alarm that the isolation centres in Lagos are overflowing with Covid-19 patients even as between 100-300 new cases are diagnosed daily.
Also, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has decried the increasing cases of Covid-19 in Lagos, lamenting that citizens have shunned the recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain the spread.
Sanwo-Olu, who spoke in Ogun State during the official commissioning of Med-In Pharmaceuticals Limited, lamented that the development has put a strain on the state’s healthcare services. He said currently, the state isolation facilities are full and additional spaces are being created.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, appealed to Lagosians and Nigerians in general to keep observing Covid-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions.
“I see people shaking hands and hugging, i think the elbow greeting i appropriate for this time, please do not shake hands. It is my advice to you because in the process of shaking hands, Covid-19 is a contact contagion. So, 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 to any 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.
Corroborating his views, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said the Federal Government is working towards ensuring local production of Covid-19 vaccine.
“I totally agree with what the Lagos State Government said about the current Covid-19 situation in Lagos. But let me add that the federal government with the support of Africa Union is working towards domestic production of Vaccine”.
Ehanire disclosed that the Federal Government is seeking opportunity with foreign partners to deliver vaccines to Nigerians, adding that they want a situation whereby vaccine will be produced in Nigeria because we have the population and the market is huge.
“We are already getting a lot of experience from what happened as regards Covid-19 vaccines. We realize that the countries that produce vaccine take care of themselves first, before consider others. So, the African Union has made it a point of duty to support domestic production of vaccines”.
