EditorialTHEWILL EDITORIAL: Worrying COVID-19 Infections Numbers

THEWILL EDITORIAL: Worrying COVID-19 Infections Numbers

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August 15, (THEWILL) – Figures, they say do not lie. The COVID-19 daily surge is worrisome considering the unmatched response from all quarters. Except for the commendable weekly briefings by the Presidential Task Force, the daily updates by the Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, and the media reports of alarming daily increases in infections and some foreign flight bans, nothing appears to have changed in terms of enforcement, personal responsibility and adherence to the viral protocol.

In crowded public places like worship centres and rtreats, public transport, banks’ ATM terminals, markets and shopping malls, people interact and mill around freely, talking loudly and failing to keep social distance. Yet everywhere you turn in most of these places, there are notices on wearing a face mask as compulsory policy. Meanwhile, the numbers increase in leaps and bounds.

During the week, the NCDC revealed that Nigeria logged 700 additional COVID-19 infections, the second highest in nearly six months. It added that the country’s

active cases also soared to 11 500, noting that the 700 additional infections were reported in 12 states and the FCT. The NCDC noted that states were struggling to curb the spread of the Delta variant, with the situation becoming alarming particularly in Lagos, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers , Oyo states and the FCT, where the strain was accounting for a large number of the cases, particularly as the ongoing doctors strike bites harder.

Currently, the total confirmed cases in the country stand at 179,118 with 166,203 recoveries. The NCDC, however, said the country had tested more than 2.5 million samples for the virus, out of Nigeria’s roughly 200 million population, noting that the country’s COVID-19 average test positivity rate was six per cent.

Indeed, Lagos State, the country’s epicentre for the virus, and her commercial nerve, had continued to rank highest in daily reports with 574 infections, according to the NCDC. Clearly, the Delta variant is on the prowl in the country.

Admittedly, the situation is a global one. Recently, the World Health Organisation disclosed that global infection rate for the month of July, 2021 stood at an alarming 80 per cent.

Even so, while many American, European and Asian countries are making concerted efforts to tackle the menace amidst vaccine hesitancy among their citizens, the nonchalance among Nigerians is, to say the least, unbecoming. There is the general, public belief that government officials are making money from COVID-19, given years of unpunished corruption cases in high places in addition to the deadly theory that it is a rich man’s disease. All these, put together, should trigger a robust fight against the menace from the authorities following the reported cases of high profile deaths from Corona Virus in the country.

The thinking that the pandemic draws a line between the rich and the poor is unfortunate and irresponsible. But then, responsibility is an expression of the freedom of choice dependent on the ability to respond to situations in a self-imposed manner. This virtue is sadly lacking in these shores where the sense of community is still to develop fully. There must therefore be concerted effort to fight the new wave of the pandemic.

The developments, therefore, make it compulsory for some form of restriction by the government through enforcement of the observance of the COVID-19 protocols without sentiments and political correctness, which currently prevails.

Enforcement of COVID-19 protocols that many state governments rolled out during the first and second wave must be carried out firmly. The National Orientation Agency should step up its effort on mass awareness and enlightenment campaigns of the citizenry in their various, indigenous languages and localities.

There is also the need for closer co-ordination between the Federal and State governments on information dissemination. A few days ago, for example, the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, exemplarily on top of the situation, warned in a press conference, on the verge of the arrival of Moderna vaccines in the country that those who had taken the first round of Astrazeneca vaccine should not mix with Moderna for their second round. The need to stress on such vital information continuously cannot be overemphasized given our official proclivity for political correctness.

The Delta variant, scientists have warned us, may not be the end to more mutations of the virus. It is therefore important that everybody in their private and public capacity jointly decide and support one another to combat the virus.

Though immunization does not seem to be the final answer to elimination of the virus as some of those vaccinated have been reportedly infected again, these cases are minor to justify refusal to get vaccinated or to continue to believe that the virus is selectively contagious. Countries that have achieved over 90 per cent vaccination, like Israel and China, have flattened the curve on the virus and are safer

We urge the government as the ultimate enforcer of law and order to firmly compel COVID-19 protocol observance because, until herd immunity is achieved, we are all endangered.

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