The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, urged Lagosians to consider any malaria-like symptoms experienced as COVID-19 infection unless and until proven otherwise.
Sanwo-Olu made this announcement while giving an update COVID-19 at a Press Conference at the Lagos House, Ikeja.
The announcement follows the increase in number of recorded cases of COVID-19 in the country, particularly in Lagos since the second wave of COVID-19 started.
The Governor, who expressed concern about the surging cases of the pandemic, advised that anyone with malaria symptoms should proceed to any of the state’s public health facilities or laboratories to get tested for free, noting that “seeking help early and quickly significantly improves the chances of survival for severe to critical cases.”
He confirmed the reopening of the INDO Isolation Centre and Gbagada Isolation Center.
“Over the last few weeks, the demands for oxygen has risen from 70 six-litre cylinders per day to 350 six-litre cylinders in our Yaba Mainland Hospital. This is projected to more than double to 750 six-cylinders, before the end of January 2021,” the statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Gboyega Akosile said.
“ln addition to providing oxygen at our isolation centres, the Lagos State Government has decentralized the availability of oxygen across the State through the provision of 10 oxygen and sampling kiosks. Oxygen therapy and other related services will be provided to patients that require them.
“Five of these 10 oxygen centers have been commissioned while the remaining five will be ready for use within the next four weeks. It is our expectation that these sampling kiosks would be easily accessible to residents that require oxygen therapy at the level of LGAs as stabilization points prior to onward transmission to our Isolation centres, if required.
“This strategy is to further increase the fighting chance of Lagos residents that have contracted the virus and require immediate oxygen therapy,” he said.