Nigerians are beginning to get jittery about the lockdown order which the Federal Government imposed on three states – Lagos, Ogun and F.C.T – to prevent further spread of the Coronavirus disease. Other states which have partially imposed a lockdown have also been feeling the weight of what a shutdown could mean for their economic standing. While many have started groaning in pain to such unusual circumstances of a lockdown, others have been stern on those who dare break the imposed restrictions.
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Abia, Bayelsa, Rivers, Ondo, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Niger, Oyo and Osun already all have one review or the other which they have already declared in an adjustment of their earlier lockdown orders. All of these decisions, wherein some states such as Ondo, Katsina, Ebonyi, Enugu and others are already preparing to allow Christians congregate at churches for the Easter celebrations may further spread the virus to others from individuals who are asymptomatic.
Without much ado, South Africa already announced an additional 21 days to the earlier lockdown in the country. Nigeria may also extend the lockdown order in Lagos, Ogun and FCT as the number of cases of the viral infection continues to rise.
Notwithstanding, in the larger scheme of things, once people are allowed to roam the country and states without having first contained the pandemic, is most likely going to rubbish all of the effort expended so far and the sacrifices of those professionals who are in the frontline of fighting the Coronavirus.
In places like China, which was the first place the Coronavirus was discovered, the city of Wuhan just got out of a 76-day imposed lockdown on Wednesday. Agreed, not many other cities in the world have the wherewithal to afford such an extended lockdown as China or Italy and other badly hit nations. And such an imposition will be difficult to implement in an environment such as in Nigeria where about 90% of the people depend on daily earnings/wages.
However, what has to be done has to be done. And this is the best time for the government to really get serious about extending palliative measures meant to cushion the effect of the lockdown on people. If Nigerians have the assurance that the government will make food, electricity, medicine, cash and other few essentials available; and at their reach, they would most likely have less reason to break any curfew. The army and the police would not have to physically abuse erring citizens for disobeying the sit-at-home directive.
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This is the time when experts cutting across several areas of disciplines – epidemiologists, doctors, financial analysts, sociologists – should begin to have discussions centered on having a holistic and more practical approach to quelling the spread of the Coronavirus.
Rather than allow indiscriminate movement around cities and suburbs for citizens to re-stock on food, medicine and other essentials, these state governments should rather make available little clusters of food markets within geographical spreads and enforce social distancing regulations in these locations.
We can only hope that the government does not lose the trust of the people while mismanaging response to this pandemic, but instead should be making the right decisions at this crucial time.
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