The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, has disclosed that the state’s 4th wave Omicron variant spread is over, as positive cases reportedly dropped to 1.9% on January 20, down from 9.8% reported cases on January 8, 2022.
Abayomi, who made this disclosure through a Twitter post, also said bed capacity utilisation has dropped to 2%, while the fatality rate stands at 0.71%.
This was as the commissioner called on Lagosians to get vaccinated, so the state could achieve herd immunity while strictly following non-pharmaceutical measures like frequent hand washing, wearing a nose mask, and social distancing.
“We don’t want people to get sick and die as a result of the virus. If you contract the COVID-19 virus, the vaccine prevents you from getting critically ill to dying from the virus. We have started giving out the booster dose. I will advise residents living in Lagos to go to any of the vaccination sites to get their jab.”
Recall that the commissioner had, during a Covid-19 briefing on December 31 last year, attributed the fourth wave to an influx of inbound travellers.
“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,” he had said.
“There was a significant increase in case positivity from 1 per cent on December 1 to 29 per cent as at December 21, 2021, as the highly infectious variant started spreading quickly in community with a steep, unrelenting upward projection.”
In a similar development, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that Omicron cases fell by 20% in the week that ended on January 16, while deaths dropped by 8%.
WHO African Regional Director, Matshidiso Moeti, said in a statement that the acceleration, peak and decline of the last wave have been “unmatched”, but its impact has been moderate, with fewer deaths and lower hospitalisations.
However, the Regional Director believes that the continent is yet to turn the tables on the pandemic.
“So long as the virus continues to circulate, further pandemic waves are inevitable. Africa must not only broaden vaccinations but also gain increased and equitable access to critical COVID-19 therapeutics to save lives and effectively combat this pandemic,” Moeti said.
