The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has said majority of COVID-19 patients in the state prefer to be treated at home, rather than being admitted to the state’s isolation facilities.

Abayomi, at a briefing on Thursday, lamented that many people give false information when they come for tests, making it difficult for them to be traced when their results come out positive.

He stated, “On a day-to-day basis, we make a diagnosis of COVID-19, which ranges between 100 and 200 every day. Out of those we diagnose, only a small number are willing to be admitted. Generally, we don’t have a problem convincing those who are very sick to be admitted to our isolation facilities. But by and large, the majority of COVID-19 patients prefer to be managed at home. So we keep in touch with them by telephone and telemedicine.

He said 2,036 cases were confirmed in the past two weeks, but the patients had not been picked from the community for treatment.

The commissioner added that the state was spending between N100,000 and N1m on a daily basis for each patient receiving care at its isolation facilities.

“For mild to moderate cases in our isolation centres, it cost the government in the region of N100,000 daily. That gives you an idea of the amount the state government is spending on COVID-19 patients daily. If you require high and intensive care, that amount can go up to anything from N500,000 to even N1m daily, depending on the complications of the case.”

The Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, said schools and worship centres would remain closed in the state, adding that the state government would continue to prioritise the safety of the residents.