Update: Why Lagos is experiencing increased COVID-19 cases, says Sanwo-Olu

 

The steady rise in the number of COVID-19 positive cases being seen in Lagos has been attributed to a backlog of samples earlier collected for testing which results are now coming out.

And, faced with the challenge of inadequate testing kits, the state government has opened bid for local manufacturers and companies which can supply the kits.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who gave an update on the COVID-19 pandemic during a media briefing on Saturday, also said the state has ramped up its testing capacity to 850 per day and currently working to increase it to between 1500 and 2000, subject to availability of extraction kits which are currently in short supply.

“Suppliers of kits are the manufacturers and their local representatives. However, the bid is open to any company with repute and integrity who can supply the desired kits to specification.”

“In this same vein, I have also mandated the state laboratory apparatus to commence the local production of certain items used for the diagnostic process and this has commenced already,” said Sanwo-Olu.

The governor disclosed that the state now has four testing facilities and already begun a biweekly procurement of laboratory needs to prevent running out of these materials going forward, until at least 120,000 tests are done in a about 2 months.

“Our combined lab capacity is at about 850 tests daily. This is easily scalable to 1500 and 2000 subject to the availability of extraction kits considering the acute global shortage.

Lagos State has paid for over 20,000 extraction kits and has placed an order for another 20,000 in its bid to test at least 120,000 in the next 60 days.

He said that “50% of the backlog, I spoke about recently, has been cleared which is also responsible for the recent seemingly high rate of positive cases in the last couple of days”.

The governor described the outgoing week as unprecedented in terms of the numbers of new cases recorded in the state, saying “as at Friday May 8, 2020, we had 1,683 confirmed cases. Of that number, 448 have been treated and

discharged, while we have, sadly, lost 33 persons.”

“In the six days since my last address to you, while we have seen a 32% increase in the number of fatalities in Lagos State, and a 62% increase in the number of confirmed cases, we have also seen a remarkable 100% increase in the number of persons who have fully recovered.

This trend of recoveries is very encouraging, and we believe it will continue at this rate. It gives us some of the much-needed confidence to face the difficult days and weeks ahead,” he added.

To address community transmission of the disease, Sanwo-Olu said efforts are intensified at increasing testing and isolation facilities.

“What this means is that we will be introducing community management of cases, by accrediting and incorporating primary health care facilities and private healthcare facilities for the management of mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19 patients.

We must be careful to ensure that this is not done at the expense of the capacity required to handle other medical cases.

There is also the important task of ensuring that we are collecting all the right data and using these data to plan and to revise our response as a state, he explained.

According to him, the state is also developing an emergency digital response platform that would help to collect the data necessary for informed decision making.

“While we will continue to pay attention to the stories and experiences being shared in other places, I would like to assure you that the data we gather, and the safety of all of you the good people of Lagos, will continue to be the prime determinants of our decision-making.”

To ensure that the projection by the state commissioner for health, Akin Abayomi that Lagos could record about 120,000 positive cases of the virus by July, is averted, every resident, the governor said, must take responsibility.

He noted that Sanwo-Olu citizens have a great burden to behave responsibly as these times call for actions and behaviours that may not be comfortable but necessary.

To stay alive and well, the governor said people must abandon old habits and customs, and adopt new ones, warning that if the failure to comply with the guidelines to check the spread of the coronavirus continued, the state would be compelled to review the relaxation of the lockdown in a few days.

“Government also has its own responsibilities, which include making and communicating informed decisions to the public, for the good of all. Another important responsibility of government is to find ways to minimize the impact of these disruptions on the lives of the people.

“As I said in my last address to you, one of the major reasons for the controlled and gradual easing of the 5-week lockdown was to strike a balance between the protection of lives and the sustenance of livelihoods”.

“This is why, in collaboration with the Federal Government, we have carefully calibrated the reopening of critical sectors of the Lagos economy, while also ensuring that we minimise risk by

maintaining vital restrictions in other areas.  Five days into this gradual easing, we can look back and pronounce a verdict on the general levels of compliance in major sectors of our economy.

“In terms of the non-compliance, the list is regrettably much longer. On the first day of this new phase of an eased lockdown, the compliance level for commercial transport sector operations was regrettably very low.”

He regretted that yellow buses especially, failed to comply with the capacity earlier announced as compliance level still not encouraging.

“Many commercial motorcycle operators openly and indiscriminately defied the suspension. The ban on interstate travel except for essential goods and services was also consistently flouted. In many cases people decided to make the final leg of the journey into the State on foot, to beat the restrictions.

Trucks and other vehicles carrying items designated as essential, have also played major roles in flouting the guidelines, by conspiring to conceal and smuggle people in and out of the State.

The reports about mask usage in public places have also not been encouraging. Many people are still choosing to go out without masks or face coverings of any kind. This is simply unacceptable.

Let me reiterate that the success of this gradual easing of the lockdown is dependent upon the compliance of each and every one of us.

“As a government, elected to uphold the security of Lagos State –and this includes health security –let me make it clear that we will not hesitate to review the terms of this easing if we continue to see evidence that Lagosians are determined to flout the rules. ”

“Let the numbers we have seen this week stand as a warning to all of you the good people of Lagos State. What we are seeing is child’s play compared to what we could be seeing if we continue to be irresponsible,” the governor warned.”

On the whistle-blowing to alert the government to those flouting the directives, the governor encouraged the citizens to reach out through the following hotline numbers:  0901-051-3197; 0901-051-3198; 0901-051-3199.

“We are guaranteeing strict confidentiality of all reports, and the full protection of the identity of all

whistleblowers,” he assured.