Lagos State closes down coronavirus isolation centres as infection rates show big decrease

LAGOS State government has begun closing down coronavirus isolation centres in response to the fact that the number of infections is beginning to dwindle to a point whereby some locations are enjoying less than 20% capacity.

Nigeria currently has 43,537 cases of which there have been 883 fatalities, which Lagos State topping the infection rate with 15,186 affected persons and 192 deaths. Over recent weeks, however, the infection rate in Lagos State has slowed down as the preventative measures, increased testing and use of isolation centres is proving effective.

With numbers dwindling, the Lagos State government has announced the closure of the Eti-Osa Isolation Centre on Lagos Island. Governor Babajide Sanwoolu added that the Agidingbi Isolation Centre would also be closed and patients relocated to the large capacity Indo Centre in the Anthony area of the state, which will soon be inaugurated.

Governor Sanwoolu said: “Some of the isolation centres now have less than 20% of occupancy. Over the last four to five months, we have built excess capacity and have gotten to a point where we need to balance the economics to know which of these facilities we need to keep running because some of them now are having less than 20% of occupancy.

“This is why we reached a conclusion to shut the Eti-Osa facility and another one in Lekki. I must also mention that we have recorded a decrease in positivity rates in Lagos State over the past two weeks, which, combined with the increase in testing numbers, gives an encouraging picture of the outcome of our response strategy."

According to the governor,  the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yaba is also gradually being reverted to its former status as a hospital to cater to all forms of infectious diseases. He added that the coronavirus dedicated tent on the hospital grounds would remain strictly for Covid-19 cases.

“It now over five months since the first case of coronavirus was recorded in Nigeria. Since then, Nigeria has seen more than 43,000 infections and significant disruption of social, religious, educational, and economic life, like every other part of the world.

“As of July 31, Lagos state has had a total of 15,150 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 10,835 persons who have recovered and discharged. Sadly, we have also lost 194 persons to the virus, which leaves us with 1,813 active cases in the community which are under management across various isolation centres in the state," Governor Sanwoolu added.