60% of people in the South East don’t believe in COVID19- PTF coordinator, Dr Sani Aliyu

Dr Sani Aliyu, the coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, says a survey recently conducted showed that 60% of persons residing in the South East do not believe that COVID19 is an issue they have to worry about or adhere to all the precautionary guidelines.

Aliyu said this while speaking at the presidential task force on COVID19 today June 22.

”Nigerians have continued to show persistent and remarkable lack of compliance to COVID19 prevention protocols which is quite worrying.

In the cities where the adherence to these protocols were high in the initial two weeks of the ease lockdown, progressively over time, citizens are letting down their guards and this remains of great concern. There is partial to total non-compliance to face mask and physical distancing protocols by the public. Many Nigerians only use their facemask either to avoid security agents or where they are told to do so.

There is also significant disbelief in the danger and impact of COVID19. In parts of the South East where we did a survey, 60% did not believe that COVID was an issue at all.

We clearly are not taking the pandemic seriously enough.” he said