Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, has disclosed that a total of 317,916 people have received the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine since March 12, 2021that the vaccination campaign was flagged off in the state.
“This means that 1.32 per cent of the state’s population have received the first dose (of the vaccine),” he said.
This he said was part of the state’s efforts to strengthen its response to the COVID-19 pandemic with a resolve to mitigate a possible third wave of the viral infection.
In a statement on Sunday, Professor Abayomi said as at 27th of May 2021, Lagos State had tested 495,339 COVID-19 samples, with 58,975 of them confirmed positive.
Of the 58,975 confirmed cases, 356 deaths were recorded (amounting to a death rate of 0.6 per cent).
According to him, the state commenced the administration of the second dose of the vaccine on Friday the 28th of May 2021.
He, however, noted that given the requirement for achieving herd immunity (60 per cent of total population vaccinated), Lagos State still needs to vaccinate about 14 million people.
“The administration of the second dose is in continuation of Phase 1 COVID vaccination that started on the 12th of March 2021. For anyone to be fully vaccinated, two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine are required with an interval of 6-12 weeks.
“The second dose will be administered on working days (Monday to Friday) across our approved 88 health facilities till the 9th of July 2021,” he said.
He, therefore, implored citizens who have received their first dose to proceed to the health facilities where they got their first dose on their scheduled appointment dates, which he said are clearly stated on the vaccination card that was issued.
Abayomi said as part of the strategies to curb the third wave of the virus, the state government intends to ensure all travelers carry out COVID-19 tests; utilize EKOTELEMED to monitor confirmed cases and provide telemedicine services. As well as enforce non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand washing, social distancing, thresholds for public gathering, discouraging super spreader events.
Others include ramping up its oxygen supply and logistics management, and applying the new guidelines as published by the COVID-19 Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) for all inbound travelers into the country from India, Brazil and Turkey.
Professor Abayomi said Lagos State accounts for more than 95 per cent of the in-bound passengers into the country and, as such, the state government has been proactive in setting up a system as well as protocols to manage in-bound passengers from all countries, especially countries where variants are actively circulating.
He disclosed that since the commencement of the new guidelines and the ban on non-Nigerians travelling from India, Brazil and Turkey into Nigeria, Lagos State has recorded 568 in-bound passengers, who have been permitted to enter Nigeria from these three countries.
“We have isolated 433 passengers in our various accredited hotels and facilities; 262 are in isolation and 154 passengers have been discharged with a negative COVID-19 test. Nine have tested positive to COVID-19 and successfully isolated to prevent community transmission.
“Of the remaining 135 passengers, 119 have refused isolation and 16 are unaccounted for.”
He advised the families of those that have refused to be isolated to appeal to their loved ones to return for testing and isolation.
“On the 24th of May 2021, the Presidential Steering Committee led by Mr. Boss Mustapha and working together with the COVID-19 response in Lagos State, led by the Incident Commander, the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, published a first list of defaulters of the laid down protocols travelling through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport as it relates to the red listed countries (India, Brazil and Turkey).
“All passengers affected should contact the lead of our Case Management Unit, Dr. Abimbola Bowale, on bimbobowale@gmail.com who will verify their status. The list of names who may have been mistakenly placed on this list and have been cleared will be sent to the Presidential Steering Committee for removal from the published names.”
He said all passengers that have been confirmed absconders will have their passports deactivated for a minimum of one year, if Nigerian; and if foreign, will have their resident permits cancelled and deported as stated by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.
“All absconders will also face the penalties of the Coronavirus Pandemic Law 2021 of Lagos State, including varying lengths of prison time up to one year and fines of up to N500,000. All affected passengers are to present themselves to the Yaba Mainland Hospital for assessment and COVID-19 tests to evaluate their status,” he said, adding that a second list of absconders will be published soon.