News6,500 Inbound Travellers Disobeyed COVD-19 Guidelines – Lagos Govt

6,500 Inbound Travellers Disobeyed COVD-19 Guidelines – Lagos Govt

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January 01, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State Government on Friday said it has commenced communicating with 6,500 inbound international travellers who are suspected to have disobeyed the COVID-19 guidelines of the Federal and State Governments.

The State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi made the remarks on Friday, in a statement while giving the update on Lagos COVID-19 response efforts so far.

Abayomi said a total of 432 suspected defaulters had been cleared after investigation, and 81 confirmed defaulters had been sanctioned and fined by the mobile courts.

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He disclosed that analysis of recent data has shown a significant reduction in positivity rates of COVID-19 infection from 29 percent on December 21, to 15 percent as at December 28, 2021 in the state.

The statement read in part: “It is important to note that indeed this did happen and Lagos State biobank recorded the highest numbers of daily infections in the early part of the fourth wave since the beginning of the pandemic, which is supportive of the fact that the omicron subtype is a more infectious variant.

“The fourth wave started as expected around the beginning of December coinciding with the influx of inbound travellers into Lagos, some of whom we have established were carrying the omicron variant.

“There was a significant increase in case positivity from 1percent on the December 1 to 29 percent as at December 21, 2021 as the highly infectious variant started spreading quickly in community with a steep unrelenting upward projection.

“Lagos State recognised a typical pattern that triggered all preceding three waves to three things: Seasons when there is increased movement of inbound travellers into Lagos such as Christmas and Summer vacation, on-going waves in Europe, America and South Africa where most of travellers into Lagos emanate from, non-compliance with Lagos State and Federal COVID guidelines.

“In particular, Lagos State has noticed that failure of airline passengers to observe the mandatory post-arrival testing and isolation always results in importation of variants which then start spreading in community and was the trigger of all preceding 3 waves to date.

“In the same light, Lagos State recognised the same pattern in November and December of this year where majority of inbound travellers were not turning up for their Day Two and Day Seven COVID PCR tests and this would be the most likely source of the entry of the variant and the catalyst of the fourth wave.

“In response to this civil disobedience of our citizens, on December 14, Lagos State publicly announced the activation of the mobile court for defaulters of mandatory COVID testing for arriving travellers, peddlers of fake certificates and persons refusing to isolate.”

Abayomi noted that the announcement and activation of the prosecution of defaulters by mobile courts resulted in a sudden trend in travelers complying with the requisite Day Two and Day Seven testing, isolation protocols and other guidelines, causing an almost doubling of testing volumes per day.

He said, “Many more positive inbound travellers were identified, and many more persons observed the isolation protocols resulting in better control of importation and spread into and within the community.

“Our analysis of recent data shows a significant reduction in positivity rates from 29 percent on December 21, to 15 percent as at December 28, 2021.

“The Lagos State Incident Command System attributes this flattening of the curve and current decline in COVID-19 positive cases in the state to effective implementation of fourth wave mitigation strategies; particularly with introduction of sanctions which has caused more compliance with testing and identification of positive cases.

“The activation of sanctions consequently led to sudden compliance to guidelines which has averted the continuous steep upward surge of the fourth wave of infections in Lagos State. This has protected the health system from being overburdened, saved lives, and reduced the appetite for government to restrict social activities. In addition, more passengers are being monitored through our EKOTELEMED service.

“The dramatic rise in COVID-19 positive cases seen at the beginning of the fourth wave of infections called for firmer enforcement of guidelines, particularly prosecution of inbound international passengers who fail to submit themselves for Day Two and Day Seven PCR tests, as mandated by the Federal COVID-19 protocols and guidelines.

“As a government, we are determined to halt the alarming trend of defaulters whose actions were responsible for previous waves of the pandemic in Lagos State.

“We have commenced communicating with 6,500 inbound passengers who are suspected of not being compliant with our guidelines established to protect the community, lives and our economy.

“Short message service (SMS) have been dispatched to suspected defaulters in the month of December. A dedicated customer care line and personnel was also deployed to call these suspected defaulters.

“We have also created a dedicated email address to reach defaulters. Subsequently, about 1,000 emails and over 2,000 calls have been received from suspected defaulting passengers.

“To date, 432 suspected defaulters have been cleared after investigation, and 81 confirmed defaulters have been sanctioned and fined by the mobile courts and the process continues until we clear the backlog.

“Disregarding the testing and isolation guidelines inevitably introduces new variants of COVID-19 and constitute a state and National public health and security threat which will sabotage all efforts to mitigate and reduce the impact of the fourth wave on citizens and the economy of the state and country.

“We have started submitting the names of those that do not respond to the SMS or Emails to the Presidential Steering Committee for the deactivation of their passports for a period of one year.”

The possible list of sanctionable offences according to Abayomi are, not turning up for the Day Two test on arrival in Lagos if fully vaccinated; not turning up for Day Two and Day Seven test plus not self-isolating for seven days for unvaccinated persons on arrival in Lagos; not self-isolating for persons who were diagnosed positive under any circumstances and being in possession of any fake COVID-19 related documents, either PCR tests or vaccination cards

Others are, entering false data and contact numbers on the travel health form; evading testing on arrival in Lagos by disguising as a child or a diplomat; corporate entities that undermine the state COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

The Commissioner added that travel agents that assist passengers evade the travel guidelines would also attract harsh sanctions

Abayomi urged residents particularly inbound passengers into Lagos and Nigeria to adhere strictly to COVID-19 protocols and guidelines including isolation, testing and vaccination guidelines to support the government in sustaining the flattening of the fourth wave of infection in the state.

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