One in five Lagosians tested COVID-19 positive in January – Sanwo-Olu

One out of every five Lagos residents who took the COVID-19 test this year was diagnosed as positive, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said on Sunday.

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The number is the highest monthly average recorded in the state in the last six months.

Sanwo-Olu, who gave the figure in his monthly Coronavirus update for January, lamented that it confirmed the state’s status as the epicentre of the pandemic in the country.

He said as of January 29, the state had recorded 47,871 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of this number, 34,094 have recovered, while 9,856 are currently active.

He explained that over the last 12 months, about 3,988 COVID-related patients have been admitted into the care centres across the state; with a registered fatality rate of approximately 0.63 per cent (301 deaths).

Sanwo-Olu said: “Currently, Lagos State has 21 private and four public health laboratories accredited for COVID-19 testing. So far, a total of 316,801 samples have been tested, with 47,871 diagnosed as positive.

“The test positivity ratio for January 2021 is 24 per cent, which means that one out of every five tests returns positive. This is the highest monthly average recorded in the last six months.

“It should be stressed that testing is free at all Lagos State public health laboratories, for all persons who fall within the case definition — that is, have symptoms such as fever, cough, cold, inability to smell or taste, headaches or general body weakness — or those who have come into close contact with anyone with any of these symptoms. Testing at our public health facilities will continue to remain free but cannot be used for travel purposes. Anyone wishing to test as a requirement for either outbound or inbound travel or other work-related requirements must do so at any of the 21 private laboratories accredited by Lagos State for COVID testing.”

The governor noted that oxygen demand has spiked to between 300 and 400 cylinders per day across state-owned treatment facilities, adding that the government is working hard to ensure that availability and supply “are very easily able to meet and even surpass this demand”.

“To this end, a second oxygen plant is under construction at the Gbagada General Hospital and will come on-stream within the next seven days.

“It is expected that this will boost the in-house capacity and availability of oxygen across state government-managed treatment centres.”

To shore up the state’s containment and management capacity for the virus and its variants, Sanwo-Olu said he had approved N200million to support the ongoing patient management and treatment efforts of two Federal Government treatment centres in the state.

“To this end, LUTH will be receiving N150million and the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Meta will be receiving N50 million. These sums will be disbursed on Monday, February 1,” he said.

In line with the COVID-19 Health Protection Regulations 2021 signed last week by President Muhammadu Buhari, the governor directed that “no gathering of more than 50 persons shall hold in an enclosed space, except for religious purposes, in which case the gathering shall not exceed 50 per cent capacity of the space.

“A breach of the provisions of the Presidential Regulations attracts upon summary conviction, a fine or six months imprisonment and or both. Our enforcement agencies have been appropriately tasked to ensure maximum compliance.”