Nigerians have expressed worry over the rising rate of COVID-19 cases in the country, particularly in Lagos State.
Lagos state, on April 19, 2020, recorded 70 new cases of COVID-19, which brought to 379 the total number of confirmed cases in the state. Though, 98 of the cases have fully recovered and have been discharged from isolation with 14 deaths recorded.
Residents of Lagos State had expected that the number of cases would reduce drastically with the lockdown and restriction of movement; instead it is increasing.
They have, however, expressed fear that with the reality on ground, the lockdown order in the state may be extended again.
An accountant working with a Micro-Finance Bank in Lagos, Mr. Aderemi Isaac, said that the rising number of cases is alarming, saying: “I have fears over continuous lockdown. There may be loss of jobs and inability of companies to pay salaries. Also, the people with time will exhaust their savings and they are not working to get more money; this is disastrous.”
He appealed to government at all levels to pay attention to food production while the lockdown is on; saying food shortage is imminent should the lockdown continue.
Mrs Vivian Ohi, an entrepreneur, expressed anxiety over likely extension of lockdown due to the rising number of cases in the State, which she said may give room for more insecurity as hoodlums and cultists may continue to hide under the guise of the lockdown to attack people and dispossess them of their valuables.
“There are many people who live on daily earning but because of the lockdown have not been able to work to get money. Some of these people have resorted to hooliganism and stealing, which is a threat to the people,” she said.
While she stated that extending the lockdown may compound the problem of the masses, she blamed the failure of government to ensure strict compliance of the lockdown for the rising cases.
The founder of Help for School Foundation in Lagos, Mrs. Olubunmi Oreaje-Ogbori, described as overwhelming the rising COVID-19 cases in the State.
“It’s overwhelming, people don’t seem to understand the gravity of the virus. When will the post COVID-19 ever be?
“The reality on ground shows that they may be more restriction on movement but government needs to really rise to ensure that the people are taken care of. We must not copy any country because we have our own peculiar problems, which must be addressed,” she said.
She stressed the need for government to provide the basic needs, including food, water and power for people to obey the lockdown order by staying at home.
“The relief materials and cash transfer should reach the people they are intended for so that the impact can be felt,” she stressed.
Meanwhile, the state government has said the extensive community testing being carried out was responsible for the increase in confirmed cases of the virus in the state.
He, however, assured that the virus will be defeated with the cooperation of residents of the state.
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