Lagos COVID-19 Daily Cases Rise To 100

15/07/21

DANIELS G.O

Lagos COVID-19 daily cases rise to 100

…Infected cases have no vaccination records, says Commissioner

Sanwo-Olu: We can’t afford another lockdown

Muritala Ayinla

As Nigerians are apprehensive over the the third wave of COVID-19, the Lagos State government yesterday said that no fewer than 100 Lagosians now tested positive to the deadly virus, saying that the number has dramatically risen to the figure in the last five days.

The government also pointed out that of all the positive cases, none of the infected person had received the vaccination before contacting the virus, urging the residents to get vaccinated on time and dispel the unfounded rumour in the social media about the vaccines.

Speaking with journalists at the South West Zonal Town Hall meeting on COVID-19 vaccination, organised by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 in conjunction with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, held in Lagos, the Lagos State

Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this, said that
that the state’s testing figures are going up slightly, adding that it was also expected that a lot of people are coming back from Europe especially the young children and this new variants are circulating, beacuse of the Summer season.

Abayomi added that the figure of the infected people steadily rose from 30 cases daily to between 60 and 80 earlier before it remained at 100, addding that there are evidences that those infected had not received the vaccines.

The commissioner said:”About a week ago we are diagnosing 30 new cases a day, it gradually went up to 60, 80, and it went just above 100 and it has remained above 100 everyday for the past four or five. There is a little reassuring that it is not going about 200, 300, 500. We have tightened our restrictions at the airport goes into mandatory isolation. And we are enaging in aggressive attack of the virus as directed by the Incident commander, the governor.

“All the new cases admitted in Lagos none of the people, looking at their history are people who have not been vaccinated. It is not scientific, robust evidence, but it is an indication. The early indication shows that those not vaccinated are the once catching the virus.”

On the vaccination, he said that despite the fact that the there is global shortage bof the vaccines, the federal government is expecting some consignment of millions vaccines, adding that Lagos would be proritised because the state had experienccedd evidences of the third wave of the pandemic, especially with the increase in the number of cases in recent days.

Abayomi added: “Nigeria is expecting some consignment and Lagos will be proritised because we have seen evidence of the possibility of a third wave as Mr gov as announced a few days ago. That trend is not alarming, it is certainingly there, we have admitted more people at the IDH, than we have done over the last two months.

“Our testing figures are going up slightly and we expect that it is summer time, a lot of people are coming back from Europe espe the young children and this new variants are circulating, we expect that there will be some increasing activity in Lagos, as we receive a lot of visitors and these vaccines are important for us.

On his part, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Folashade Jaji also expressed dismay that the persisting rumors have affected the uptake of the vaccine.
Sanwo-Olu declared that Lagos could not afford another lockdown again due to the imminent COVID-19 third wave which he believed it can be prevented.
While encouraging the citizens to take vaccine, he said so far, the country had not recorded any case of death associated with the COVID-19 vaccine and almost four million Nigerians had been vaccinated.

The governor added: “I am counting on the full support of NPHCDA, the South West Governors, our royal fathers, development partners and all other Distinguished guests here present to ensure that we all keep sensitizing our people on the need to Adhere to all the precautions and guidelines that will bring the pandemic to a full and final stop.

“Am using this occassion to call on our royal fathers, Chiefs, religious leaders and elders to please continue in their efforts to fill the gaps in terms of community knowledge on benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, and also to dispel false rumors about the vaccine. We must get our Neighbourhoods and communities to own the vaccination campaign, and the entire fight against the Coronavirus.

” We can and must win this battle, and it starts with collaboration and partnership. Which is why I am happy that we have gathered here today to network and to discuss and fashion out strategies for working together for the success of the fight against this pandemic “, Sanwo-Olu said.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who was represented by
Minister for State Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, and the Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora told Nigerians to disregard fake news trending on social media on COVID-19 vaccine, describing the rumours as handiwork of mischief makers. attempt to dissuade citizens from taking the vaccine.

The Executive Director /Chief Executive Officer of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, in his address,said that the government has received communication for the delivery of the following vaccine shipments in the coming months; 3,924,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca by end of July or early August 2021 from the COVAX facility; 4,000,080 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in August from the COVAX facility donated by the United States Government; 3,577,860 doses of Pfizer-Bio-N Tech COVID-19 vaccine in Q3 from the COVAX facility and 29,850,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson (Jassen) COVID-19 vaccine by the end of September, that will arrive in batches from the African Union Commission