Lagos Assembly workers, aides undergo compulsory COVID-19 tests

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The Lagos State House of Assembly workers on Sunday stormed the Yaba Isolation and Treatment Centre for COVID-19 test, following the Speaker’s directive that everyone should know his or her status.

The workers, aides and reporters covering the House were led to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) turned isolation centre at the early hour of yesterday by the Chairman House Committee on Health Services, Akeem Shokunle, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency I.

Speaking with reporters at the centre, Shokunle said it was not enough to observe the protocols recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (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, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, asked us all to go for testing. The House in its wisdom also decided to extend it to the staff members and aides alike.

“So that nobody would have any excuse for not doing the test, we organised the test on two or three occasions within the Assembly complex for both lawmakers and staff. I still have to mobilise down here those who missed the test on those occasions,” he said.

A medical practitioner, who addressed the staff while waiting to be tested, said they should continue to observe the safety precautions recommended by the medical experts even after getting their results and they test negative for the virus.

One of the lawmakers’ aides who spoke with reporters at the test centre, Mogaji Fausat, said she needed to do the test to be sure of her status and know how to continue to keep herself safe.