The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, on Wednesday, announced the cancellation of the ministry’s programme of engaging Media and Civil Society Organisations (CSO) on COVID-19.
The ministry had planned the programme slated for March 19 to engage stakeholders on how to fight against COVID-19 and other pathogens of high-consequence with reference to the state Bio-security project.
Abayomi, at a media briefing on COVID-19 update in Lagos, said that cancellation of the programme was to adhere to the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s advice on social distance.
The commissioner said that the state government would send advisory to religious organisations on measures to adopt to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
According to him, the state has four new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing total confirmed cases in Lagos to seven.
He added that one of the cases which was the staff of Lafarge that recovered from the virus had been discharged, and gone back to Ogun.
“Yesterday, we received four samples that tested positive, a Nigerian mother and a six-week-old baby, who arrived Lagos on March 13 from California on Virgin Atlantic flight number VS411.
“An American citizen who crossed into Lagos through Benin Republic land border on March 13, and a Nigerian male who returned to Lagos from London on March 13, via Virgin Atlantic Flight number VS411.
“Each of these categories have initiated what we call line listing or contact tracing, and that process is ongoing.
“We will first of all start with members of their immediate families, and any person they might have come in contact with.
“Including identifying the manifest of the airline and contacting passengers on board the airline with instructions for them to self-isolate and report their progress to us,” he said.
The commissioner said that the index case was stable and responding to treatment, while the family of the third confirmed case, the lady that returned from UK, had tested negative to COVID-19.
Abayomi said that the family had been discharged with further instructions to self-isolate, and the ministry would monitor their progress daily.
According to him, the Indian man had also tested negative to COVID-19, and would be discharged.
He urged citizens to maintain hand hygiene and standard respiratory etiquette, saying that government had intensified its contact tracing efforts.
Also, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, advised citizens against panic, saying that the situation requires soberness and adherence to every instruction.
Ogboye restated the government’s commitment to protect the citizens and ensure that the situation does not escalate beyond control.
NAN reports that the Federal Government had on March 18 restricted entry to Nigeria of persons from listed 13 high risk countries with effect from March 21 for a period of four weeks.
The affected countries are; United State of America, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Iran, Switzerland, Norway, Netherland, France, South Korea, Germany, Italy and Spain. (NAN)
