Easing lockdown offends Nigeria’s Covid-19 frontline experts

Abuja,

Nigeria’s decision to ease nationwide lockdown by Monday has sparked a row as Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) fear that coronavirus pandemic will spiral.

The National Medical Association (NMA) that has lost more than 11 doctors in the battle also kicked against the decision to unlock the economy and polity.

NCDC warned that coronavirus cases will continue to rise for the next few months even as the cases peaked at 2,388 with 85 deaths, a leap within a week by more than 150 per cent.

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director General of NCDC, said the cases would likely increase if the people are allowed to mingle and given the increasing capacity to find and test more cases.

The nation lacks bed spaces and this added to more infections will worsen the frightening scenario.

“The easing of the lockdown should not be seen as going back to status quo,’’ as Nigeria may not be able to manage possible explosion, he said.

Dr Ihekweazu said that governments and Nigerians have roles to play in slowing the spread of novel coronavirus pandemic and protecting themselves, their families and communities.

President Muhammadu Buhari who imposed a lockdown in Lagos and Ogun states as well as in Abuja, the epicentres of the pandemic for 28 days as 34 other states also did has declared easing of the lockdown due to public demand.

However, the relax of the lockdown came at a time that Kano, north west Nigeria with a population of more than 20 million, is recording its worse cases and with hundreds of mysterious deaths.

Reports say that more than 150 people, including prominent indigenes of Kano have died mysteriously in two weeks, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch a probe into unusual deaths.

President of the Association of NMA, Dr Francis Faduyile, described the unlocking as premature, as it will ``figuratively tilt the epidemiological curve towards an upward spike’’.

The confusing situation in Kano, he said, had neither been unravelled nor resolved, while other states live in the delusion of zero COVID-19 incidences.

Faduyile argued that unlocking the nation could be overwhelming as more than 113 Healthcare Workers (HCWs), including doctors, have been infected, including some fatalities.

Despite the opposition to the lockdown and the increase in cases, guidelines on the relaxation of the lockdown and gradual reopening of the economy have been released by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

Mr Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who is also the Chairman of PTE, announced on May 3, 2020, that the process would span six weeks, broken into three tranches of two weeks each. This is designed to reduce the pains of socio-economic disruptions while strengthening public health response.

He argued the action would also provide succour to the poor and vulnerable groups, but warned that overnight curfew nationwide from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. will be effective May 4, 2020.

Other measure included the ban on inter-state travels except for the movement of goods, agro-products, petroleum products, essential services; closure of schools; closure of places of worship; and ban on all passenger flights.

He explained however that offices and businesses will be re-opened on May 4, 2020 after the premises have been fumigated, decontaminated and have made provision for physical distancing.

Workplaces would ensure compulsory use of face masks, testing of temperature, ensuring the prohibition of mass gathering of more than 20 people.

The action of government did not amount to the end of the battle against the virus, but said: “It signifies the need for more vigilance and stringent compliance so that we are not lulled into complacence capable of diminishing the progress we have made so far.”