Lagos Govt places Alimosho hotels, resorts under surveillance because of Coronavirus

After dismissing the rumoured suspicion of cases of the Coronavirus disease in Gowon Estate in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos, the state government has placed hotels and resorts in the area under surveillance.

The state commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi said there is no truth in the report that the Chinese people residing in Osoba Close of Gowon Estate, were having severe symptoms of Coronavirus disease and treating the symptoms themselves.

In an earlier statement, the commissioner said that the so-called Osoba Close or Street where the Chinese nationals that allegedly have the disease live on was not found in the estate.

While giving an update on the investigation carried out by the Ministry on Wednesday, February 12, 2020, Abayomi said, “there are no suspected or confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Lagos State contrary to fake news being circulated in the media.”

He said, “In a bid to further investigate the rumour, the surveillance team of the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Alimosho community stakeholders were in Gowon Estate and its environs — the alleged scene of the suspected cases, on February 9, 2019.

“The team interrogated residents living in and around Osoba Street in Alaguntan Ward, Segun Majekodunmi Street and other randomly selected houses in Alimosho but there were no Chinese nationals residing or carrying on business in and around any of the streets and communities visited.”

“The team expanded its search to hotels around Alimosho and Gowon Estate where a Taiwanese lady was identified to have visited one of the hotels but nothing concrete linking her to China was found. Three Egyptian nationals, who were sighted buying drugs at a particular pharmacy were also interrogated but were found to be businessmen who had no link whatsoever with China.

“The State surveillance team has scaled up its search by placing hotels and other resort centres on active surveillance to closely monitor visitors, travellers and non-nationals especially those of East Asian and Chinese origin,”