Nothing exposes Nigeria’s ingrained irresponsibility regarding human life than the recent revelation by the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, that only Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, Ogun and Kano states had been consistently carrying out a high volume of testing out of the 36 states in the country. He specifically noted that COVID-19 testing had dropped considerably in Taraba, Adamawa, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa and Yobe states.
This is more disturbing when it is considered that suppressing the pandemic rests hugely on steady testing and devotion to safety protocols as advised by the World Health Organisation and allied agencies. The WHO says testing is a critical cornerstone of the COVID-19 response, enabling countries to trace and contain the virus now, and to prepare for the rollout of vaccines once available.
States have flung open gates of schools, firms, worship centres, cinemas and others fully after the easing of lockdowns. But this is not the time for the country to let down its guard, especially as the virus is known to have killed more than one million people globally. As Ihekweazu noted, with the reopening of schools and airports, the level of testing should be increased, as there would be a greater risk of transmission.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 recommended a phased reopening of schools and urged the provision of vital mechanisms for assessment and monitoring of compliance with non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 interventions by every school. The Federal Government urged schools to conduct weekly COVID-19 risk assessment. The two recommendations notwithstanding, the state and federal governments must join forces to tighten the noose around the pandemic to frustrate its spread.
Many Nigerians exhibit reckless behaviour towards the pandemic; others act as if COVID-19 had either ended or lost its potency thereby endangering their lives and those of others. The federal and state governments should partner enforcement teams to criminalise habits negating COVID-19 safety protocols. Germany has introduced fines for offenders as it re-imposed some restrictions.
The use of facemasks, hand washing and social distancing should be compulsory. Obeying COVID-19 safety rules should be the duty of all citizens. It is incumbent on leaders to lead by example and abide by all mandated protocols.
Governors’ decisions on lifting restrictions regarding COVID-19 should henceforth be driven by science and not emotions, pressure or politics. With no known cure yet for the virus, Nigeria and Nigerians should learn to take responsibility until one is found. The various governments should also focus on private universities exploiting students under the guise of payment for COVID-19 tests.
Coronavirus is still deadly and is no respecter of persons or nationality. Nigeria must learn from countries with foresight, dedicated leadership, modern healthcare facilities and functional systems, which tried to reopen their economies fully without ample preparations and got their fingers burnt. In Spain, COVID-19 cases spiked to the highest-level post-lockdown. In June when the country ended the lockdown, its health ministry reported 852 new infections, indicating the highest daily case.
Texas, one of the first US states to ease lockdown restrictions, had to re-impose restraints after it witnessed a resurgence of cases. As the single-day record increased, so also the death toll. The same situation was recorded in Alabama, Missouri and Nevada. In Turkey, new levels of cases were recorded after the lifting of ban on travels and curfews in June, prompting the government to consider tighter measures to contain the spread of the pandemic.
The UN in its COVID-19 advice to countries in September, said, “Many countries have poured money into domestic stimulus packages. But these investments will not on their own address the root cause of the economic crisis – which is the disease that paralyses health systems, disrupts economies and drives fear and uncertainty. We continue to urge countries to focus on four essential priorities. First, prevent amplifying events. Second, protect the vulnerable. Third, educate, empower and enable communities to protect themselves and others, using every tool at their disposal. And fourth, get the basics right: find, isolate, test and care for cases, and trace and quarantine their contacts. This is what works.”
Such regulations ought to be the compass for Nigeria in its critical decisions on COVID-19. Nigerians should learn to take responsibility and hold their leaders accountable. State governments should carry out more testing to determine new cases and treatments rather than aborting testing and festering community transmission of the virus. There is the need to adopt rapid tests strategy to detect the presence of the virus at the point of care, which are faster and cheaper and are a vital addition to the testing arsenal needed to contain and fight COVID-19. Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO DG, said, “High-quality rapid tests show us where the virus is hiding, which is key to quickly tracing and isolating contacts and breaking the chains of transmission. The tests are a critical tool for governments as they look to reopen economies and ultimately save both lives and livelihoods.”
In an organised society like the United Kingdom, there was a plan for new restrictions on social interactions over its second wave of coronavirus. It also projected about 10 million coronavirus testing daily early next year at a cost of £100 billion. The projection is beyond 2020 despite fears that lockdown could cause 75,000 deaths. There should be an intentional plan to provide safety measures at worship centres, schools and other mass gatherings
