By Idowu Abdullahi,
The Lagos State House of Assembly has urged Lagosians to abide by the lockdown and sit-at-home directives emplaced by both the state and Federal governments in the fight against coronavirus in Nigeria.
It explained that the astronomic increase in recorded cases of the virus in the last few days and an increase in coronavirus mortalities being recorded across the country had necessitated the call and that community spread of the disease portends more danger in the state which must not be allowed to happen.
The lawmakers said though the government was aware of the hardship being faced by Lagosians following thee two weeks extension of restriction placed on movement by the government which was meant to identify, trace and isolate all individuals that have come into contact with confirmed cases, ensure treatment of confirmed cases while restricting further spread to other states, such sacrifice remains a needed ingredient to win the war against the pestilence.
The Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Hakeem Sokunle, said it is imperative for Lagosians to strictly adhere to restriction order imposed by the government which was meant to stem the spread of the virus in the state.
Sokule, who led the Chairman House Committee on Information, Security, and Strategy, Tunde Braimoh; Chairman House Committee on Transportation, Temitope Adewale, and Chairman House Committee on Environment, Desmond Elliott, on a Joint Committee visit to four topical Coronavirus treatment and Isolation centers, frowned at various reports of citizens engaging in group exercise and footballing activities on major roads in the state.
Addressing newsmen after the Committee visited the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH)Yaba, Isolation Centre at Onikan Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Eti Osa Isolation Centre at LANDMARK Victoria Island and the Cardiac and Renal Centre General Hospital Gbagada, he noted that such activities and that of other violators of the lockdown were against the social distancing directives of the government, an action, he said, can aggravate community spread of the virus and rendered the government efforts futile in early containment of the deadly disease.
Sokule while urging the people to support efforts by the stakeholders in the fight against the virus by adhering to the sit-at-home order, assured that the state government will stop at nothing in mitigating the further spread of the virus.
The Chairman who commended the government proactive responded to the pandemic during the tour around the facilities, lauded the health workers in the frontline of the fight against the virus saying more equipment will be supplied to enhance their service delivery.
“Let us commend the government giving out that executive order, I must say this, having it slow does not mean that we will achieve 100 percent success and having it fast has nothing to do with success.
“The best way to curb the spread is an absolute lockdown to prevent community spread, I understand it is not easy but sometimes we should be able to consider the effect of COVID on the infected persons and health workers attending to them. So, if the government said we should lockdown, we should be able to abide by as it is for our safety,” he said.
