Lagos govt pledges stringent measures against defaulters of COVID-19 protocols

The Lagos State Government has stated that it will enforce the Coronavirus Pandemic Law against defaulters to ensure the protection of citizens against the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

Prof. Akin Abayomi, the State Commissioner for Health, spoke on Wednesday at a media briefing on the Lagos COVID-19 Third Wave Mitigation Strategy.

Abayomi said the state government would take the law seriously, adding that enforcement was key to mitigating the third wave of COVID-19 infection in the state.

According to him, the law confers on the state governor the right to order the quarantine, imprisonment, sanctions and fines for individuals, who deliberately disobey the law and endanger the lives of citizens.

The commissioner said that the state had evolved five strategies for curbing a potential COVID-19 third wave in the state, listing the strategies as testing and isolation of travellers.

“The state would deploy the strategy of ramping up oxygen supply and pharmaceutical intervention of an increasing number of vaccine doses administered by leveraging the private sector.

READ ALSO: COVID-19 Resurgence: Lagos puts US, Canada, 12 other countries on watchlist

“Over the past months, there has been a significant reduction in the numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state,” he stated.

Abayomi, however, noted that many countries were still experiencing a vicious second or third wave of the pandemic.

He said that possible triggers of the third wave were general laxity, false sense of security and non-adherence to the guidelines, upcoming religious holidays, COVID-19 fatigue and entry of mutations and variants.

According to him, mutation of the COVID-19 virus and new strains was a natural phenomenon, adding that the new strains could enter the country through incoming travellers.

The commissioner said that the Federal Government had banned non-Nigerians from India, Brazil and Turkey from entering the country.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now