Members of staff of Lagos State House of Assembly on Sunday stormed the Yaba Isolation and Treatment Centre for COVID-19 test following the Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa’s directive that everyone should know his or her status.
The staff members, aides and journalists covering the House were led to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, IDH, turned Isolation Centre at the early hour of Sunday by the Chairman House Committee on Health Services, Mr Akeem Shokunle representing Oshodi/Isolo constituency I.
Speaking with newsmen at the Isolation and Treatment Centre, Shokunle said it was not enough to observe all the protocols recommended by WHO, NCDC and other medical experts alone, it had also become necessary for everyone to know his or her status.
“You will recall that the Speaker of the House, asked us all to go for testing, the House in its wisdom also decided to extend it to the staff members and aides alike.
“On this premise, nobody would give any excuse for not doing the test, we organised the test on two or three occasions within the Assembly complex for both lawmakers and workers. I still have to mobilise down here those who missed the test on those occasions”, he said.
Meanwhile, a medical practitioner, Dr Mutiu advised the staff members to continue to observe safety precautions recommended by the medical experts even after getting their results and they test negative for the virus.
His words; “Between five to seven days, your result will be out and will be sent to you. However, if you test negative now does not mean you should become careless and stop observing the safety precautions recommended by the medical experts because your results will only be valid for as long as you do not expose yourselves to the virus,” he noted.
One of the lawmakers’ aides who spoke with journalists at the test centre, Mogaji Fausat said she needed to do the test so as to be sure of her status and know-how to continue to keep herself safe.
“I missed the test on two occasions when they came to the Assembly Complex to conduct the test for lawmakers and other staff members, so, having another opportunity to do it right here at the Yaba Isolation centre, I have to take advantage of that.
Knowing my status has become necessary because I take public transport every day and contrary to government’s recommendation for spacing in the bus, the transport operators carry passengers with disregard to the rule while they still hike the fare.
Since the test is free and it doesn’t cost me more than my transport fare from my house to this place, why won’t I take advantage of it, at least, Lagos State House of Assembly has made it easy for us and we are grateful”, she said.