The Federal Government has warned that Nigerians should expect an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases across the country in the next 2 weeks.
This is due to the total disregard of the preventive measures against the virus during the ongoing nationwide #EndSARS protest which has been witnessing huge gatherings.
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This disclosure was made by the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, at the national briefing of the task force in Abuja on Monday, October 20, 2020.
He said despite the appreciable success recorded so far in the fight against COVID-19, the ongoing protest may spark up a second wave of the virus.
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Mustapha said, “I can say it authoritatively that with the ongoing protest across the country, in the next two weeks the cases of COVID-19 would have increased. Each and everyone that attended the protest and did not put up any form of protection is likely going to spread the virus. When people contract the virus during the protest gathering, they will go back home and spread it.
“This is one of the reasons why we must be extremely careful when we congregate because when you gather together in such an atmosphere where people don’t wear face masks or maintain the social distance you are creating a potential opportunity for carriers to spread the virus.
“So far we have done pretty well as a country but this protest is like a setback and we must avoid a situation where we will have a resurgence. Countries that thought they have overcome are dealing with the second wave. We are extremely lucky as a nation and we should be careful of any situation that can warrant the second wave.”
He said any mass gathering that does not adhere to the non-pharmaceutical interventions that have been put in place, like wearing of face masks, social distancing, and keeping personal hygiene, becomes a super spreader event.
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What it means: With the expected spike in the number of Covid-19 cases due to these protests across the country, Nigeria runs the risk of having a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak which had before now been on a decline. This could lead to the resumption of lockdown measures by the government, in order to contain the spread of the pandemic.
The money wey una chop on top of this COVID never do. Una still wan budget for am for next year. God dey o
The Federal government should do the needful by addressing the demands of the Endsars protest rather than shying away from her responsibilities. If the masses couldn’t connect the covud-19 virus during election campaign in Edo and Info state rally which were overcrowded, how come they will contract it now? The government should focus on the issue on ground.
But FG don’t expect increase of Covid-19 during campaign. Leadership of deception and this is what has made Nigeria as a nation not to move forward.
Another opportunity for corrupt public officials to embezzle public funds. With the contributions of a couple of millions made towards the ENDSARS campaign everyone saw the welfare package that the money was spent for, FG claimed to have spent billions of Naira on COVID-19 palliatives but we are yet to see anyone that will testify that he got anything reasonable, even FG couldn’t come up with facts like video footage to substantiate their claim. To be sincere all previous administrations in Nigeria before Buhari’s government are all guilty of misappropriation of public funds. Gradually an end will come to this bad governance that has plagued Nigeria ever since. God bless Nigeria