The daily increasing number of confirmed novel coronavirus [COVID-19] cases in Lagos is beginning to turn a source of worry to both the government and the governed.
- TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that what started in February as a single imported case is now heading to thousands with high tendencies of recording more intimidating figures in the coming days/weeks.
While the government can be said to have been at its best since the outbreak of the deadly virus, however, the overwhelming medical demands and attention of the densely populated state at this crucial time might just make that effort look like just ‘a drop of water in a mighty ocean’.
With a poor testing culture, flagrant disobedience to social distancing rule, and the presidential stay-at-home order which has helped drastically reduced the spread of the virus in order climes, the state and indeed the country at large might be ignorantly heading for an unprecedented surge in the number of confirmed cases in the coming days/weeks. However, most worrying of all these is the unmotivated health workers and dilapidated state of public health facilities in Nigeria to handle above certain number of cases.
TNG notes with concern that if the numbers keep going up at this alarming rate without a corresponding drastic intervention in the health sector, several lives may be lost to the pandemic.
Lagos, owing to its commercial status in the country and continent, accounts for over 60 per cent of the entire confirmed cases in Nigeria. The deadly virus which was hitherto referred to by most average and low income residents as sickness of ‘big or rich man’ has now cleverly penetrated 17 out of the 20 federal government recognised local governments in the state according to the state’s health commissioner, Prof. Akin Abayomi in his briefing on Sunday, 18 April 2020.
A close analysis of the confirmed cases reveal that some of those infected do not have any travel history (local or foreign) or close contact with an infected person. To paint a clearer picture of the worsening situation, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu said 26% of the total COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, as at Wednesday, April 22, were untraceable to any source. In other words, Nigeria’s coronavirus situation is now gradually moving to a communal infection stage, starting from Lagos.
TNG reports that on Friday, April 24, Nigeria surpassed 1000 confirmed COVID-19 cases with Lagos accounting for 657 of the cases according to the latest data released by the NCDC.
As at 11:30 pm 24th April:
Advertisement
Lagos-657
FCT-138
Kano-73
Ogun-35
Gombe-30
Katsina-21
Osun-20
Edo-19
Oyo-18
Borno-12
Kwara-11
Akwa Ibom-11
Kaduna-10
Bauchi-8
Delta-6
Ekiti-4
Ondo-3
Rivers-3
Jigawa-2
Enugu-2
Niger-2
Abia-2
Zamfara-2
Sokoto-2
Benue-1
Anambra-1
Adamawa-1
Plateau-1— NCDC (@NCDCgov) April 24, 2020
Advertisement
We might have to be more strict in enforcing stay-at-home order – Official
Worried by the increasing numbers and obvious disregard for the stay-at-home presidential directives, the state government which has received accolades from far and near on its early handling of the pandemic is considering more strict approaches in enforcing the preventive directives.
“Yes, we have been on our toes since the first case surfaced but it seems a section of the populace are still nursing the ignorant belief that the whole COVID-19 thing is a set up or scam. The recent high and low profile deaths in Nigeria and around the world should have cleared their doubts but I wonder why this category of people chose to be ignorantly stubborn. We won’t fold our arms and allow these few ignorant people ruin the lives of the majority who have been law abiding and alert since the outbreak of the deadly virus in Lagos,” a top government official who spoke anonymously said.
Asked if the facilities and health workers were overwhelmed with the increasing cases, he said: “They are not. We are lucky to have a governor who has demonstrated leadership by example from his first day in office. Governor Sanwo-Olu and other top government officials have been leading with good examples. They are not going to sleep while asking the health workers to face the hazards alone. You can see the governor already approved a 400% increase in the hazard allowance of all health workers in the state for the month of April.
The workers are highly motivated and professional in discharging their duties at this crucial time. The state is also building more isolation centres. Soon, all the local governments and LCDAs will have one like the sample collection centres that are now widespread in the state. The governor commissioned that of Eti-Osa on Wednesday. So I’ll say the state is equal to the task. And we are also appealing to the public to inform appropriate authorities whenever they notice symptoms of the virus. They should also endeavour to stay home to reduce the chances of contacting the virus.”
Why it’s impossible for us to stay home – residents
Meanwhile, some residents have explained why the stay-at-home order might not work for them despite the risks of contacting the virus. Many of them insisted that their survival depended on their daily hustles and the palliatives announced by both government and private coalitions have not gotten to them.
‘You can’t ask me to stay at home when you have not mapped out my survival plans. I am neither a civil servant nor a salary earner. I gave up hopes of securing a job long ago when I roamed the streets of Lagos for years searching for a job that never existed. I acquired new skills and have since become my own boss and even helped others along the line. I work everyday including Sundays. That is my only hope of survival. If you want me to stay at home, then you must priotise my feeding and that of my family. I stayed home for close to one week and exhausted all that I had in savings. Since then, its been extremely difficult putting food on the table. My wife and children are not happy because there is no food and money. I feel worthless as a man, husband and father. The government should take care of my primary needs and I will gladly stay at home. Hunger kills faster than any virus no matter how deadly,’ Taiye, an educated and popular artisan said.
‘Oga nobody is happy running everywhere looking for money. It is responsibilities and the fear of hunger that makes it look like people are disobedient or stubborn. And that is why some desperate ones even resort to stealing. I know the dangers of moving around in a lockdown especially during a pandemic but our governments are simply not helping matters. I’ve not received a dime from anyone since the beginning of the lockdown. Families and friends are not willing to help because they are facing same challenges too. So how do I keep my integrity and still feed and cater for basic needs if I just sit at home doing nothing?,’ another resident curiously asked.
While it is not clear how the state government can make its teeming low income residents stay home and observe social distancing if they must step out, however a much more effective palliative distribution can prove effective. People tend to be more relaxed and law abiding during crisis when the burden of what to eat is lifted off their shoulders.