COVID-19: Lagos cases may rise to 39,000- Abayomi

NIGERIA – Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, on Friday disclosed that cases of Coronavirus(COVID-19) pandemic in Lagos could rise to as high as 39,000 cases in the coming weeks.

Giving a graphical description shortly after briefing newsmen in Alausa, Ikeja, Abayomi said about 3,000 primary contacts of persons who have tested positive to COVID-19 pandemic were being traced on a daily basis, adding that the numbers could rise if such persons are not observing the rule of self isolation or social distancing.

According to him, “The projection is that we could have cases as high as 39,000, but with our strategy of tracing primary contacts of victims and our constant follow up, it may not exceed 13,000.

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“Lagos is making significant progress. We are not saying that we will not see more, but compared to what is happening around the world, we are doing quite well.

“So we have to make sure that we practice aggresive social distancing.. if we carry on with out strategy we will not give the disease the opportunity to spread.”

The Commissioner, however, said the current statistics compared to other countries after four weeks shows that the country was getting it right with containing and curtailing the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“We are doing something right in Lagos. Then if we continue to do that then we will remain on the lower trajectory.

“It shows we are keeping the curve flat which is allowing us to keep up with number of cases we have so far. Until the virus runs out of wind, the curve will flatten, bend and continue to reduce.

“At four weeks, Spain and Italy had thousands of cases, but after four weeks we have just 37. Our data shows that Lagos and Nigeria are doing very well in containing this virus,” he said.

Abayomi also doused reports making rounds that a VIP patient was snuggled into the centre in the wee hours of the night into the Lagos Isolation Centre, saying that there was nothing of such.

“We do not have any VIP. If you test positive to COVID-19, we admit you in our isolation centre which is comfortable and we’ll equipped,” he said.