By Chris Paul Otaigbe
Concerns over likelihood of a community spread of coronavirus infection, became manifest as Nigerians trooped out on first day of easing of lockdown.
As Lagos observes its first day of the phased reopening of the State, Lagosians rushed out in their numbers, overwhelming banks, as commuters clustered at bus stops while passengers cramped up inside commercial buses.
This development dramatically throws the social distancing rule out of the window. Kaftan Post spoke with some Residents at one of the Banks in Ogba to gauge their mood on their first day out of the house following the month-long stay at home order. Many were excited but unhappy with the State government for the deadline issued for Residents to return home.
Morufu Olayiwola, a Trader at Agege, who had come to the bank at Ogba to regularize his account said government did not think through its response to the pandemic.
According to him, asking citizens to stay at home without adequate welfare provision for the people showed that government the never had a plan beyond forcing the people to stay at home.
“How can you tell people to stay at home for 30 days without making provision for what they will eat or how they will survive with their families. Now, you say they can come out but they have to get home before 8pm. How can that happen in a Lagos where traffic gridlock can hold you down for hours…” he said.
According to him, many Lagosians are likely to be stranded in town today because of either transportation issues or traffic gridlock.
Magdalene Osakwe works for a private firm around Ogba and she said one of the problems Residents in the State will face today and throughout the period of the phased reopening will be inadequate transportation.
“You banned okada, banned Keke and yet your buses are not enough and you want people to get home before 8pm. How do you think, with all the ‘hold-up in this Lagos, people can meet up…?” said Magdalene.
According to her, it took almost one hour plus to get the commercial bus that brought her to town from her Idimu residence. “I got to the bus stop as early 5.30am and didn’t get a bus until about 7am before I could get the bus that the private car brought me to work at Ogba and I paid N3,000 just to get to my office. You can imagine that.” She complained.
According to her, asking people to observe social distancing without provision for adequate transportation cannot be sustained “because people have to go to work, catch appointments that do not care for your social distancing. You must know that people have not worked for over 30 days and so they would want to use the opportunity they have today to get as much as they can get, since they can no longer predict anything, anymore.” Said Magdalene.
Benjamin Udofia is works for one of the eateries at Ogba. He believes the social distancing rules may be difficult to achieve in a setting where there is no apparent plan for people to maintain prescribed distance in usually crowded public places. “Look at our markets now… Even during lockdown, the markets that were opened did not even observe the social distancing rule not to talk of today that you have given everybody the right to go about their duty. ”
Meanwhile, the banks are overwhelmed and worried for fear of catching the virus. According to a senior staff at one of the banks (name withheld), the Staff are scared because the deluge of customers that have invaded their office demanding service has put the branch in a precarious situation.
“As you can see so many people on our neck to answer them at the same time. Even our appeal to them to space out to observe the social distancing rule is falling on deaf ears. Everybody just wants to be attended to and we are scared because you don’t know who is carrying the virus, ” said the banker.
Ndidi Emejulu who sells fruits at Ogba is also not impressed with the gains made during the one-month lockdown. She said the idea that forcing people to stay at home to curb the spread of the virus has not yielded the stated objective.
“Look at it, they said when we stay at home and maintain distance, the disease will reduce. But every day I tune my television or radio, they were always talking about increase in the number of people who have been infected and those who have died. So, what have they achieved? Whether we stay at home or come out or not, the virus will infect those it will affect and kill the people it will kill. Me and my family will not be there by the grace of God. So, what is my own…why are they disturbing my market…” Ndidi said.
The violation of the social distancing rule, on this first day of phased relaxation of the Lockdown, was blatant and reckless. The extent can only be measured by the impact it would have on the number of new cases of infections and possible deaths that would be recorded in weeks to come.
Meanwhile, the Covid-19 status of the State as at May 4, 2020, stands at 1,107 confirmed cases, 803 are new, 247 discharged and 30 deaths.
The Lagos example is similar to the situation in other States of the Federation where the lockdown has been relaxed.
The indiscriminate violation of the social distancing directive has raised concern of a wave of community infection across the country as may be discovered in the nation’s Covid-19 status in days and weeks to come. So, far close to three thousand Nigerians have been confirmed positive to the virus with over 87 deaths.
