The Lagos State Government says it is intensifying efforts to ensure that the public have access to accurate information on the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said this on Thursday in Lagos during the state Ministry of Health and Lafiya Project Media Professionals Training on COVID-19 Response.
The training has the theme: “Gender and Social Inclusion in COVID-19 Response: The Role of the Media’’
Abayomi, represented by the State Epidemiologist, Dr Ismail Abdul-Salam, said that the government would ensure that the public have access to accurate information on COVID-19 response.
“Within communities, we need to increase awareness and sensitisation through strategies that will mitigate the second wave of COVID-19.
“We need to correct misconceptions and myths circulating in communities. Some people in communities still believe that COVID-19 is not real, and that is really worrisome,” he said.
According to him, from mid October, the state has experienced a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
He said that the numbers of COVID-19 patients in intensive care and numbers of fatalities had also increased.
The commissioner said that as at Dec.16, 198,571 tests had been conducted in the state, 25, 128 confirmed cases and 23, 562 recoveries.
Abayomi advised the citizens to continue to observe proper wearing of face masks, regular hand washing and physical distancing to reduce their risk of COVID-19 infection.
Also, Dr Adefolarin Opawoye, Lead, Lagos COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), said that mask compliance was poor, with the citizens having pandemic fatigue.
Opawoye stressed that infection prevention and control measures remained key to battling the scourge of COVID-19.
According to him, the key principle of IPC remains physical distancing, wearing of masks and washing of hands.
Dr Oreoluwa Finnih, Senior Special Adviser on Health to the Lagos State Governor, appealed to the media to move into action by telling compelling stories on COVID-19.
She advised that media content should go beyond reporting the daily COVID-19 infection figures to communicating the impact of COVID-19 on families, children, markets and the general society.
Ms Sussan Ihuoma, Assistant Secretary, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), said that it was important to include disability dimension in prevention, mitigation and monitoring plans related to COVID-19.
Ihuoma said that COVID-19 testing and isolation centres should be made accessible and facilities made available for people living with disabilities.
Also, Mr Ayo Adebusoye, Member, Steering Committee, Lagos State Civil Society Partnership (LASCOP), noted that the training was to strengthen media on gender-sensitive and social inclusive reporting of COVID-19 issues.
Adebusoye advised that the media should ensure social inclusion by making sure that every demography of the society have a voice in their reporting. (NAN)
