Lagos health commissioner Akin Abayomi says residents could wear double-masks to protect the person beside them, and reduce their exposure to aerosol, as long as breathing was not compromised.

Mr. Abayomi, who was giving the state’s COVID-19 update via his verified Twitter account @ProfAkinAbayomi, on Friday, however, said the N95 mask was suitable for protecting medical professionals.

The commissioner also announced that the bed occupancy level in the state’s public and private COVID-19 care centres has reduced to 46 percent.

According to him, from December 2020, there was an increase in bed occupancy at the state’s COVID-19 public and private isolation and treatment centres.

He, however, said from the beginning of February there had been a decline in bed occupancy rate at both private and public COVID-19 Lagos Care Centres.

“Bed occupancy rate has dropped further to 46 percent from 50 per cent in the last two days,” he said.

Mr. Abayomi added that the state recorded 236 new COVID-19 infections on the reported date, increasing the state’s confirmed COVID-19 infections to 52,510.

The commissioner said the total of COVID-19 tests conducted in the state since the inception of the pandemic stood at 323,825.

According to him, 3,589 COVID-19 patients were successfully treated and recovered and were discharged from the state’s care centres.

He said 42,950 COVID-19 recoveries were recorded in communities while cases currently under isolation were 161, and active cases under home based care now stands at 5,481.

Mr. Abayomi, however, said the state recorded two new COVID-19 related fatalities, increasing the total deaths to 329.

(NAN)