COVID-19: Lagos commences mobile advocacy campaign

Lagos State government said it has begun an extensive public enlightenment campaign, which will go across all the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in order to reinforce the measures instituted to contain the community spread of COVID-19.

The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, said this at the commencement of the campaign, pointing out that the exercise was initiated after the discovery that members of the public did not comply with the directives issued by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the lockdown was eased in the state.

“It was disappointing that residents threw caution to the winds immediately Mr Governor announced the partial lifting of the lockdown imposed by the Federal Government. People stormed banks without exercising caution despite the ravaging effects of the pandemic. The enhanced public enlightenment campaign, which will involve LED and mobile billboards, is expected to strengthen the advocacy on physical distancing and other preventive measures.

“Information about the symptoms, prevention and sample collection centres for individuals who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 will dominate the campaign. It has become imperative to penetrate communities with details that will attract the attention of residents to engender compliance with Health experts’ directives on COVID-19.

“The campaign is to further increase awareness on symptoms, prevention and sample collection centres so that Lagosians are further equipped to combat the virus, especially at this critical stage of community transmission,” the commissioner said.

Omotoso, while reiterating the call by Governor Sanwo-Olu that every Lagosian must take responsibility in the fight against COVID-19, emphasised that the #maskup Lagos campaign would be taken across the entire state.

He solicited public support in ensuring that the campaign was taken to every household, expressing optimism that the fight against the pandemic would be won, if residents adhered strictly to the directives issued by the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

It would be recalled that Lagos had its index COVID-19 case on February 27, 2020, and presently has 1,480 patients on admission; 528 discharged and unfortunately recorded 33 deaths.

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