President, Women Arise and Centre for Change, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, has called on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to embark on more publicity and sensitisation campaigns to avoid Nigerians becoming more complacent and careless to COVID-19 safety protocols that could give way to further spiking in the pandemic figures in the country which has already grossed above 50,000.

“We appear to have left the worst phase of the pandemic behind us even as the spike in the figure of the infected continues to rise. Now and again, the populace is also jolted by the news of this or that VIP succumbing to the virus.

“Cases of governors, Ministers and such other VIPs contracting the virus and going into isolation have become commonplace.

“While such news should serve to warn the people about the reality of COVID-19, it has also fueled speculations that the virus attacks only the rich and highly placed.

“Misplaced as this popular misconception is, it is one of the reasons why the ordinary people go about their activities without taking heed of COVID-19 protocols. More publicity and sensitisation work still has to be done by the NCDC,” she declared in a statement.

According to the famed activist, “The spike in the number of Nigerians infected by the Covid-19 virus continued unabated yesterday. The latest figures released by the NCDC shows that the country now has total confirmed cases of 50,488 persons infected with the virus.

“The number of those treated and discharged stood at 37,304 while close to 1,000 deaths have been recorded (actual figure, 985).

“It is safe to conclude that despite the spike in the number of the infected, neither federal nor state government is contemplating any drastic measure of another lockdown.

“The economic cost of such action and the security risk of reining in citizens opposed to it may have tied the government’s hands. Besides, the failure of previous lockdowns due to a combination of compromise by security agencies and citizens bent on circumventing the measure may have proven too steep a mountain for government to climb.

“Enforcing compliance with the Covid-19 protocols has been no less challenging, despite sanctions put in place by government. Wearing of face masks and the observance of physical distancing are flouted with reckless abandon.

“The sorry sight of teeming commuters struggling to catch the few public transportation vehicles available; the reckless behaviour of the crowd of mourners at the burial of VIPs; and the audacity of political leaders who organise rancorous rallies of party faithful are some of the evidence that caution has been thrown to the dogs. It would then seem that it is now everyone to himself and God for us all.

“The pessimism of those who never believed there was Covid-19 in the first place; the faith of those who believe God will protect them anyhow; and the confidence of those who believe in many of the self-medication peddled freely on social media are some of the ways Nigerians are fast settling down to the ‘new normal’.

“It is safe to say that life appears to have returned to normal – the usual hustle and bustle is back everywhere. Religious activities have cautiously resumed while terminal class students are being allowed to write their examinations. Some states are even reopening schools in phases.

“Workers in many states have returned to work and local flights have resumed. International flights may soon follow.”

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