Why we can’t relaxed lockdown, says FG as Nigerian cases rise to 1,095

As Coronavirus cases hit to 1,095 as of yesterday the 24th April 2020, the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, have come up with reason why the lockdown measure should not be relaxed amid efforts to curb the virus pandemic.

You could recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, had on March 29 ordered a lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states for 14 days to curb COVID-19 spread. Many states had also followed.

However, as the number of COVID-19 cases increased, the President on April 13 extended the lockdown for 14 more days.

During a media briefing on Friday in Abuja, Chikwe Ihekweazu, the director of Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 said, it was not yet time to relax the lockdown.

He added that, although the lockdown was having negative effects on the economy as it was impeding Nigerians’ ability to go about their daily activities, he said it was vital to be patient and endure the lockdown further to ensure a safe and healthy society when the economy would be reopened.

He said, “We will eventually exit this stage and restart our normal life but that stage is still a while to come and I ask for your endurance, support and patience. Lots of efforts are going on across the world to find new therapy, to find vaccine.

“Everybody is pushing hard along this direction. We need unprecedented level of caution to continue carrying out the preventive measure that we have advised many times on this platform.

“Many families have not been able to bury their dead, rescheduled their marriages and baptism and everything they are doing. In a way, life is in suspense. Everyone recognises the sacrifice Nigerians have made but we really have to encourage one another to continue to a position where we can relax some of that (lockdown) but until we get to that place, we have to continue in the short term.

“We are working hard to reach a point where we can relax some of these measures but we are not there yet. We ask you to join us to continue this journey with us and amplify these messages that we are giving. We are happy to have the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress here with us today (Friday).”

Ihekweazu added that the citizens must remember that the most vulnerable people were the elderly and people with other illnesses.

“We must protect them. In protecting them, if they are living in the village, leave them there and support them with whatever resources you have. But please, now is not the time to encourage travelling,” he added.