Lagos to build more isolation centres as COVID infections surge

The Lagos state government says it is creating more isolation centres to address rising cases of COVID-19.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, disclosed this at the unveiling of MED-IN Pharmaceuticals Intravenous Fluid Factory in Ogun state on Thursday.

On Thursday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced 558 fresh COVID infections.

Lagos recorded over 65 percent of the total single-day figure with 376 cases.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Akin Abayomi, commissioner for health, said the state is “under severe stress and strain” by the third wave of the infection.

He asked members of the public to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines in order to reduce the spread of the virus.

“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,” he said.

“Our isolation facilities are full and filling up every day. We are creating more space as we speak, I will 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.”