COVID-19: Lagos Closes Eti-Osa Isolation Centre, Reopens Mosques, Churches as Infection Rate Drops

Femi Ashekun/

Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says the number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in Lagos has decreased over the past two weeks.

The governor disclosed this in Lagos during the 17th update on the management of COVID-19 in the state.

Consequently, the governor disclosed that the Eti-Osa Isolation Centre has been closed, with effect from Friday night, adding that the Agidingbi Isolation Centre would also be closed.

Sanwo-Olu also said worship centres in the state will be allowed to reopen from Friday, August 7. Worship centres in the state have been shut since March as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

According to Sanwo-Olu even though the state has further expanded its testing capacity in June with the accreditation of seven private laboratories, there has been a reduction in positive cases in recent times. 

He disclosed that in the week that ended on July 26, the state tested close to 9,000 samples across the public and private sector laboratories.

According to the governor, the increase in testing capacity would lead to an increase in the number of daily confirmed cases of the virus in the state.

“I must, however, also mention that we have seen a general decrease in positivity rates in Lagos State over the past two weeks, which, combined with the increase in testing numbers, paints a very encouraging picture of the outcome of our response strategy.

“We will continue to fine-tune our efforts and strategies to build on our successes and close any existing gaps,” Sanwo-Olu said. 

The governor said patients of the closed isolation centres would be relocated to a large capacity centre to be inaugurated soon at Anthony area of Lagos. 

He gave the name of the new centre as Indo-Centre, noting that the centre will help improve the management of COVID-19 in the state.

The governor said: “Over the last four, five months, we have built excess capacity centre, but that is only the way to go, you cannot over-prepare.

“We have got to a stage where we need to balance the economics of this and which of these facilities do we need to keep running.

“Some of them now are having less than 20 per cent of occupancy.

“This is why we reach a conclusion to shut Eti-Osa facility and another one in Lekki,”.

He also said that the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yaba “is now also gradually being reverted to its former status as a hospital to cater to all forms of infectious diseases’’.

On the modalities for re-opening worship centres, the governor said Muslim worshippers are allowed to begin their services from Friday while Christian worshippers could begin their Sunday services on August 9, noting that the permission applies to churches that have their main worship days on Saturdays.

He, however, warned that the religious centres would only be allowed to operate at 50 per cent of their capacity, noting that the safety protocols released by the government must be strictly adhered to.

In June after the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 approved the reopening of worship centres, the state government on June 4 asked mosques to reopen from June 19, and churches from June 21.

But, at a press briefing on June 16, the governor canceled the plan due to increasing COVID-19 cases.

Sanwo-Olu however said yesterday that, “Places of worship in Lagos State will be allowed to open from Friday, August 7 for our Muslim worshippers, and Sunday the 9th of August for Christian worshippers, but only at 50 per cent of their capacity. Churches whose main worship days fall on Saturdays are permitted to hold their services on Saturdays.”

He emphasised that worship centres would not be permitted to have other services or fellowships outside of their main weekly services that hold once a week, but that they could schedule multiple services on their designated worship days. He said vigil remained prohibited till further notice.

Among the conditions to be met by the religious centres planning to reopen, he said persons above 65 were strongly discouraged from attending services and that the ‘No Facemask, No Entry’ policy must be maintained throughout the duration of services.

He added, “Regular cleaning and disinfection of facilities must be carried out to maintain clean and hygienic environments before and after every service. Appropriate screening equipment for COVID-19 symptoms such as a contactless temperature check must be available for entrants into the facility.

“It is mandatory to provide hand-washing facilities and sanitisers at the entry and exit points; national emergency response phone lines must be displayed prominently on the premises and handshakes, hugs and high fives are not permitted at gatherings.”

He stated that the use of stationary collection boxes and electronic methods for collection of offering must be encouraged and that the flow of human traffic in and out of the premises must be conducted in an organised manner.”

Sanwo-Olu said the number of cases had been decreasing over the past two weeks, adding that from August 14, restaurants would be permitted to open for in-dining services while social clubs and recreational centres would also be allowed to open, on the proviso that they maintain a 50 per cent occupancy capacity and obtain Provisional Safety Compliance Certificate from the government.

He added that the permissible capacity for public gatherings had been increased from 20 to 50 persons, warning that the closure of all spas, bars, lounges, night clubs, cinemas, games arcades remain till another review before the end of the month.

On the reopening of schools, the governor said secondary schools would reopen for only exit classes from August 3 as planned, adding that all standard precautions must be put in place by school authorities.

“The Lagos State Government will make face masks available to all schools to which this reopening exemption applies, for the duration of the reopening,” he added.

0