Lagos isolates four kids, two adults over suspected cases

• Don’t just wish, pray against disease, govt tells residents
The Lagos State Government has said four children from the same family and their teacher who arrived the country from the United States of America (USA) have been quarantined for coronavirus.

Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, disclosed this yesterday at a media briefing, saying another man from the United Kingdom was also isolated.

He revealed that the four children and the teacher were quarantined because they had contact with a coronavirus patient, adding that they were isolated at the centre in Yaba two days ago to see if they would develop symptoms of the virus.

Disclosing that though the first test had been conducted on them and tested negative, he stated that another test would be conducted within 48 hours for final confirmation.

Abayomi also said a man from the United Kingdom who had been quarantined would have test conducted on him today to ascertain his status, stressing that the state government was carrying out regular tests on people to ascertain their coronavirus status on a daily basis.

The commissioner also disclosed that the government had established contact with the two people declared wanted, who were in the Turkish Airline with the index case, an Italian.

He said shortly after the media announced that the two were people declared wanted, people gave out their contacts immediately and that they had been contacted.

On the index case, Abayomi said the Italian was feeling better, but that he was still secreting the virus, adding that once he tested negative, another test would be conducted within two days for a second negative confirmation and that once that had been done, he would be released.

Abayomi noted that there was no specific treatment for coronavirus, saying most of the drugs being used were HIV drugs to reduce the virus from growing faster.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Lagos State Government yesterday held a sensitisation rally for stakeholders at the Ifako-Ijaiye Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Participants were charged to not just wish away the disease, but pray it away and take concrete actions aimed at checking its spread in the state.

Director General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who was represented by the Director, Human Resources, Mathew Oladunjoye, charged the different associations to replicate the exercise in their domains.

He also urged the Community Development Associations (CDAs) and market leaders to not only pray and reject coronavirus and its spread, but they should take hygienic steps that would halt the spread or ensure that they do not contact it.

He said it was the reason the state government asked LASEMA to take the sensitisation to the grassroots level in partnership with the council areas, as well as market and community leaders.

Oke-Osanyintolu added that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu wanted every resident to fully understand what needed to be done to check the spread and stop them from contacting the virus, saying that their understanding was critical to taming the scourge.

Head of LASEMA Medical Team, Dr. Yasid Omotayo, gave insight of precautionary steps residents should take not to contact or spread the virus.

He also enlightened them on the social distance to maintain when they suspect that someone could have the virus or just arrived from a highly infected country.

While highlighting the importance of living in clean and hygienic environments, he explained the significance of regular hand washing and how to wash hands appropriately.

Chairman of Ifako Ijaiye Local Council Development Area, Oluruntoba Oke, who was represented by the Vice Chairman, Usman Hamzat, commended the state government for organising the sensitisation programme, as it would educate stakeholders in the area to know what to do to check the spread of the virus.

Chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC), Ifako-Ijaiye, Samuel Opajobi and Iyaloja General, Ifako-Ijaiye, Adedoyin Coker Ogunbiyi, promised to take the message to their members, educate them on how to prevent contacting or spreading the virus.