COVID-19: Governor Sanwo-Olu raises concern over potential 3rd wave in state

Due to the raising case of COVID-19 cases in Lagos state, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has raised alarm of a potential 3rd wave of the virus in the state.

According to him, "From the beginning of July, we started to experience a steep increase in the number of daily confirmed cases, with the test positivity rate going from 1.1% at the end of June 2021 to its current rate of 6.6% as at 8th of July 2021. The rapid increase within a week gives great cause for concern. Also, within the last two weeks, the occupancy rate at our isolation centres increased from an average of 1% to 6%. This is the new and disturbing reality that now confronts us.

"But we must not be demoralized by this. We must instead resolve that we will not leave any stone unturned in our bid to effectively mitigate the third wave of this pandemic in Lagos State. As you all know, Lagos has been the epicentre of the pandemic since the start, and the way we manage it here has a significant impact and reverberating effect on the national outlook and outcomes. So, Nigeria is counting on us in Lagos State to be resolute in our stand against the virus.

"We will continue to test aggressively. We will also focus on sequencing the samples we are collecting to ensure we are detecting and keeping track of the different variants in circulation. It is only by testing and sequencing comprehensively that we can collect the data required for informed decision-making."

The governor stated that the state has a total of 30 accredited centers (26 private and 4 public health laboratories, noting that no other facilities, which are not accredited, is allowed to admit or attend to COVID-19 patients.

He urged Lagosians to desist from patronizing non-accredited COVID-19 treatment centers, and proprietors should also ensure that all suspected and confirmed cases are referred appropriately.

Speaking on vaccination distribution and access, Governor Sanwo-Olu maintained that his administration is working to ensure access to the vaccination, saying,

One of the major tenets of our mitigation strategy against the 3rd wave is our vaccination campaign, similar to other parts of the world. It has been observed by various credible studies that those that have received their vaccines have demonstrated significant resistance to the effects of the virus, with fewer associated complications and deaths.

As of today, however, the percentage of residents of Lagos who have received two (2) doses of the vaccine stands at a mere 1%. We recognise that this is not adequate, and given the imminent third wave, and our priority to reduce COVID-19 related deaths, we are exploring all avenues possible to ramp up access to vaccination so as to reach our herd immunity target of at least 60% COVID-19 vaccination coverage of the population of Lagos State. We are confident that we will be getting a second batch of vaccines very soon, to kick-start the second phase of vaccinations.

The governor urged travelling passengers to provide right information for them to conduct proper monitoring, adding that any passenger who didn't give the right information will face serious sanctions including fines and imprisonment according to the Lagos state coronavirus law of 2021.

He advised the religious pubic to remain cautious, and not allow themselves to be carried away by the illusion that all is back to normal, adding that for every religious gatherings there must be full compliance with all protective protocols, which includes: compulsory use of masks in all public places, social distancing, temperature checks, provisions for hand-washing and santizers, and a maximum of 50 percent occupancy in enclosed spaces.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said that the state would continue to work with all our partners, across government and the private sector, to ensure that we permanently triumph over this virus. We will not rest until this is achieved.