Lagos needs to exercise an abundance of caution - Sanwo-Olu

— Warns against 12am COVID-19 curfew contravention

Abiodun OBA

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has emphasized the core reason for all residents of the state to exercise abundant caution.

Addressing Lagosians for the first time after overcoming COVID-19 in Marina, Lagos on Thursday, Sanwo-Olu said, “As Nigeria’s most populous and densely-populated city, and a centre of international trade and commerce, this is not surprising in any way. But it is also the reason we need to exercise an abundance of caution.

“World over, Christmas is associated with gathering, merriment and traveling – which all, sadly, contribute to the spread of the Coronavirus. We must now seek to minimize as much of these activities as we can, at this time and going forward.”

The Governor therefore, warned Church leaders not to violate the 12am to 4am COVID-19 curfew declared by the Federal Government as they prepare for their Crossover services and appealed to Lagosians to hold their prayers at home.

He said church leaders must been mindful that there is a 12am to 4am curfew nationwide and that it must not be violated in holding Crossover services in various churches.

He said as Christians celebrate Christmas and all the New Year, people must be mindful of COVID-19 steps, saying that all persons feeling symptoms associated with the Coronavirus must immediately isolate themselves and contact any Public Testing Facilities, where a Test would be arranged free of charge.

“Please do not assume that you have a case of malaria or other illness. The default position should be to test for Covid and rule this out, due to the easy transmissibility of the disease.

“Persons who have tested positive to the Coronavirus must be open and honest with anyone they may have interacted with while infected, so that effective tracing can be done and exposed persons can take appropriate measures to self-isolate and not further spread the disease. We must not hide our status from the people we have been in contact with.

“All non-essential travel plans, whether local or international, should be suspended or cancelled at this time, until further notice. Passengers arriving in Nigeria from abroad must ensure that they submit themselves for their post arrival testing as advised, seven days after arrival in the country. Doing otherwise, puts the health and well-being of the loved ones they came to visit in jeopardy.

“We must all do everything in our power to protect the elderly and the medically vulnerable among us. This might mean postponing that long-planned trip home. All events and gatherings, whether for religious or social reasons, must abide by the guidelines which we have issued regarding maximum capacity for venues and mandatory handwashing and mask usage. All establishments in Lagos State must implement a No-Mask-No-Entry policy for visitors and clients,” he stated.

According to Sanwo-Olu, “Not only is COVID-19 here with us, this second wave we are currently seeing is proving to be more ambitious than the first wave. We are seeing infection figures that are surpassing what we saw at the peak of the first wave, and, just like then, Lagos remains the epicentre.

The governor said there was no justification at this time for socializing without caution, stressing that as much as is possible all socializing should be kept to the barest minimum or completely jettisoned.

“We will bring the full weight of the law to bear on all those flouting the stated directives,” he warned, urging Lagosians to use this period as sober reflection, adding that the quicker “we are able to tame this raging virus, through responsible behavior, the higher the likelihood that we will enjoy a 2021 that is not as restrictive and challenging as 2020.”

“It is up to us; the choice is ours. If we continue to insist on irresponsible behavior, then we will have to pay the price, medically, socially, and economically. Having survived the infection, I believe I am in a very good position to let you all know that the best outcome is to avoid getting infected,” he said.

The governor said COVID-19 is real and that people should not joke with it.