The Lagos State Government on Sunday commissioned a newly-equipped 150-bed isolation centre at the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba making the bed-capacity in the state 797.

The facility was donated by the private sector coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID) to further tackle the spread of the virus.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while commissioning the isolation centre, said that the facility will help the state in tackling the pandemic.

“Today, we unveiled a 150-bed isolation centre at the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba which increases our capacity to tackle the spread of COVID19. We thank the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID19 for delivering this well equipped facility.

“Lagos is rising to the task of beating back COVID19 because of the work of our amazing health workers, private partners, @NCDCgov, the Federal Government, and residents who follow the strict guidelines we have laid down,” he said in a statement.

The breakdown of isolation centres in Lagos as of Monday is as follows;

Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba – 115, Onikan – 100, LUTH – 60, Gbagada – 180, Landmark – 81, Agidingbi – 47, Lekki – 45, First Cardiology Consultant Hospital – 15, Paelon Memorial – 11, Vedic – 20, Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba – 150. Total: 797.

The state governor further disclosed plans of the state to build an ‘international infectious disease research centre’ at IDH, Yaba, Post COVID-19.

“We are committing to putting in place a purpose built international infectious disease research centre in this hospital post-COVID. We will ramp up our infrastructure and capacity and will definitely not wait for a pandemic to come upon us again before everything is in place,” he said.

Urging Lagos residents to remain cautious and prevent themselves from contracting COVID-19, Sanwo-Olu also encouraged citizens “to wear face masks in public spaces, practise hand hygiene and physical distancing.”