Lagos State govt discharges 40 COVID- 19 patients

RTEAN hails FG for lifting interstate travel ban

LAGOS State Governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu, yesterday, disclosed that 40 of the COVID- 19 patients in the state were released to join their families after testing negative.

The 40 patients, 17 females and 23 males, including two foreign nationals, were discharged from the state isolation facilities.

“The patients, 19 from Onikan, seven from Gbagada, three from Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, eight from Agidingbi and three from LUTH isolation centres were discharged after full recovery and testing negative to

COVID- 19,” the governor said.

Meanwhile, the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria ( RTEAN) has commended the Federal Government for heeding the plea of transport workers and lifting interstate travel ban imposed to curb the spread of COVID- 19.

The RTEAN had earlier appealed to the Federal Government to review ban on interstate travel, saying the sufferings of affected transport operators were becoming unbearable.

National Publicity Secretary of RTEAN, Alhaji Abdulrahman Amusan, who spoke yesterday in Lagos, said the gesture had shown that the government had a listening ear and felt their plights.

According to him, the interstate transport operators whose sources of livelihood had long been paralysed by the lockdown and the ban are jubilating and rejoicing with the new development.

“The entire National Executive Council ( NEC) of RTEAN, led by the President, Alhaji Musa Mohammed and all State Executive Councils want to appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for being human and considerate in lifting this ban. It has been really tough for our members who deal in interstate travels.

“We thank the Federal Government most sincerely for this development. We commend the government for not forgetting or abandoning the affected operators whose businesses and sources of livelihood had been paralysed.

“This review is the best thing now. Our suffering members are happy and rejoicing over this because it will end several weeks of hardship and sufferings. We are grateful.

“Again, we have lectured and admonished our members to strictly adhere to all the COVID- 19 prevention guidelines and protocols because all the government efforts are for our safety,” the RTEAN spokesman said. According to him, the union is in total support of the efforts of the government in combating the novel coronavirus and will continue to support the government in all its policies and programmes.

Amusan, who doubles as the Secretary of the union in Lagos State, said that many drivers and conductors would have food on their tables with the development.

He gave the assurance that the union would obey all the guidelines and protocols as prescribed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC) and the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19.