Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday disclosed that 299,992 doses of Moderna vaccines were received from the Federal Government, saying, come Wednesday, August 25th, 2021, another round of vaccination would commence across the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said a total of 150 centres had already put in place across the state for the administering of the vaccines, adding that qualified citizens would have to register online before they would be attended to at the centres.
This was as he sadly revealed that the state recorded a total of 506 registered fatalities since the outbreak of the pandemic, out of which “135 have sadly, happened in this current third wave.”
The governor disclosed this while giving the update on the COVID-19 pandemic at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja, even as appealed to the residents to keep faith with the laid down protocols to curtail the spread of the third wave of the pandemic, of which Lagos had recorded a total of 70,563 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as at 21st of August 2021, out of which 60,716 have recovered in-community, with 4,387 currently being managed actively in-community.
According to Sanwo-Olu, about 5,551 patients have been admitted into various COVID-19 care centres in Lagos, over the course of managing the pandemic, but sadly said 506 registered fatalities were recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic, out of which 135 sadly occurred in this current third wave.
The governor, however, expressed delight that 94per cent of all the persons who had opted into the home care programme of the state, translating to 4,787 persons, had been discharged, with no deaths recorded since it was launched in 2020.
“As at the 21st of August 2021, Lagos State had recorded a total of 70,563 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of this number, 60,716 have recovered in-community, and 4,387 are currently being managed actively in-community. Over the course of managing the COVID-19 pandemic, about 5,551 patients have been admitted into our various COVID-19 care centres in Lagos, with 506 registered fatalities. Of these deaths, 135 have sadly, happened in this current third wave.
“Our home-based care programme, powered by the EKOTELEMED call center, has so far catered to 5,074 Covid positive persons, out of a total of 20,716 positive persons who have been offered the programme. What this means is that 3 of every 4 Covid-positive persons offered the free Lagos State telemedicine programme have opted not to use it.
“On a more positive note, I am happy to report that 94% of all the persons who have opted into the home care programme, translating to 4,787 persons, have been discharged, and no deaths have been recorded since it was launched in 2020,”
Speaking further on the delivery of Moderna vaccines to the state, which he said was for the second phase of the national vaccination campaign, which will commence in Lagos State this Wednesday, August 25, 2021, Sanwo-Olu posited that the increase in the number of centres to 150 “is to prevent the gathering of large crowds and ensure that the vaccination campaign does not itself become a super spreader event, considering that the strain fuelling this new wave of the pandemic is a very virulent one.”
“We will ensure that the administration of this vaccine is based solely on appointment. Please, do not visit any of the allocated facilities until you have registered online and been given an appointment date. Register and book an appointment on the Federal Government’s vaccination portal, at nphcda.vaccination.gov.ng. You can find the list of healthcare facilities at which vaccinations will be taking place on the website of the Lagos State Government.
“Our ultimate goal in Lagos State is to vaccinate 60% of our residents in good time. Let me remind all Lagosians that Covid-19 vaccination in Nigeria is free of charge,” he said.
This was just as the governor reiterated that the Moderna vaccine is a two-dose vaccine, like the AstraZeneca vaccine that was deployed during the first phase of vaccination, warning that it (Moderna) should not be mixed with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“What this means is that only persons who have not been previously vaccinated at all should take the Moderna vaccine. If you have previously taken one dose of the Astra Zeneca vaccine, please exercise patience as we await delivery of a fresh allocation from the Federal Government,” Sanwo-Olu said.
On the treatment more severe cases, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the state had witnessed a gradual increase in the uptake of oxygen during this pandemic, from the utilization of 75 cylinders per day at the beginning of this third wave, to over 400 cylinders per day.
He said the state government, in anticipation that more oxygen supply might be needed over the next few weeks, was exploring several ways of increasing its oxygen capacity, including partnering with the private sector.
“At the moment we have two functioning oxygen plants, at the IDH in Yaba, and in Gbagada, and are looking forward to shortly taking delivery of two additional Oxygen plants being built in Lagos State by the Federal Government. Our target is an oxygen supply capacity of 1,000 cylinders per day, in Lagos State.
“It is important to note that oxygen supply is free at all public facilities designated for the treatment of Covid-19 in Lagos State. We encourage members of the public to report any of our staff soliciting fees for the provision of oxygen, to the Office of The Honourable Commissioner for Health, and assure that appropriate disciplinary action will be taken,” the governor stated.
The governor noted that the state had since discovered that the third wave emerged on account of non-adherence to the laid-down health protocols, disclosing that out of every 100 tests conducted, the positivity rate currently stands at 12.1%; compared to 1.1% at the end of June 2021, and 7% at end of July 2021.
“For this reason, it is essential for me to, once again, remind all of us of the huge responsibility we have to contribute to fighting and defeating this virus.
“As a state government, we have taken substantial steps to arrest this third wave in its tracks, most notable of them is the increased monitoring and enforcement embarked upon by members of the Incident Command structure. Unfortunately, we have recorded severe recalcitrance on the part of the public, which has led to the higher infection rates that we are now recording.
“The health and travel protocols and guidelines issued by the Federal and State Governments exist to protect and safeguard us all and the inconveniences that might come with them are only a small price to pay, to avert far more serious consequences,” the governor said.
“Between the 8th of May, 2021 and the 21st of August, 2021, a total of 88,847 Persons of Interest (POIs) have arrived in Lagos via the Murtala Mohammed International Airport. Of the 88,847 POIs, 1,073 have tested positive following arrival.
“As dictated by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 (PSC), passengers from red-listed countries (India, South Africa, Brazil and Turkey) are required to observe mandatory isolation. As at 21st of August 2021, Lagos State has identified 5,998 of these persons and successfully isolated 4,500 of them arriving from the red-listed countries, while 1,094 have absconded.
“The COVID-19 protocols on mandatory isolation were put in place by the Presidential Steering Committee to protect the country from an imminent third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Nigerians who disregard the protocols and abscond from isolation are directly putting the rest of the country at risk of unending waves of the pandemic.
“To help us better manage the pandemic, we have invested in strengthening the capacity of the Lagos State BioBank to sequence positive cases. Sequencing allows us to identify the predominant strains of the COVID-19 virus in our environment and provides us with information on how to better respond to the pandemic.
“To everyone else, I appeal for your cooperation. The threat of the Coronavirus is not theoretical, it is very real. We have been on the journey now for about eighteen months, and we are all witnesses to the immense disruptions we have seen on every front, not to talk of the many lives that have been lost,” he added.
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