COVID-19: Lagos Places U.S., Canada, 12 Others On Watch-list
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Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State
The Lagos State Government has placed the United States, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Togo, South Africa, Canada, France, Germany, Uganda, the Netherland, Cameroun, Angola and Rwanda on its watch list as it works to prevent a third wave of the pandemic.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made the disclosure while briefing on the state’s COVID-19 update and preparation against the third wave, insisting that preventing the importation of the mutants was the best way to adopt.
Prof. Akin Abayomi said, “We are preparing and building resistance, but if the third wave enters, the state would prevent it from going into the community,” he promised.
The Commissioner further said besides India, Brazil and Turkey that already have federal attention, Lagos State government would closely monitor passengers from the 13 countries listed above.
Abayomi also disclosed that the state had received new 57,000 vaccines from the Federal Government, which it had started administering.
The commissioner said with the new doses, 27,000 more residents would receive the jabs.
Akin Abayomi added that, “in Lagos, we have experienced the first and second waves. We are looking at the factors that could possibly trigger the third wave,” he noted.
The Health Commissioner identified laxity among citizens, false sense of security and non-adherence to guidelines as likely factors encouraging the third wave.
In his contribution, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said Governor Bababjide Sanwo-Olu had implored residents to remain calm and adhere to non-pharmaceutical protocols.
Recalled that the federal government on Tuesday, 11th May 2021, began to enforce a curfew to restrict movement of the over 200 million populations in the country with the view stem the spread of deadly corona virus and especially the highly lethargic new strain.
Destinations Lagos places on the red alert list
• India
• Turkey
• Brazil
Amber alert list
• Canada
• U.S.A
• France
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Togo
• Ghana
• Cameroun
• Angola
• South Africa
• Kenya
• Uganda
• Tanzania
• Rwanda
Green alert list
• All other countries not in the two categories above.
Passengers that arrived Lagos from any of the countries among the ‘red’ list, shall have to isolate for 14 days even if they tested negative before departure. While passengers from countries in the green list are not affected with the conditions as applied to passengers from red and amber lists.
Penalty for contravention
The commissioner reminded the citizenry and especially the travelling public of the existing laws of the Lagos state government in respect of managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Akin Abayomi cited section 11 of the new rule as enshrined in the Lagos State Coronavirus Pandemic law, 2021, which stipulated that anyone caught flouting this rule shall be liable to a fine of N300,000.00k about $731. The law added that the culprit could even bag additional one-year imprisonment.
The law also empowers the governor to compel anyone he feels deserving of isolation to be quarantine until he is satisfied such person or persons are fit and shall not constitute a threat to other citizens medical well-being.
By-: Ayoola Olaitan
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