Covid-19: No lockdown for now, says FG as cholera rages

The Federal Government said yesterday that though the Delta variant of Covid-19 is on the rise in the country, it would not lock down the economy.

But experts say, though they agreed with the government, they blamed it for failing to enforce Covid-19 protocols, which had led to rising cases.

This came as the Nigerian High Commission in London, the United Kingdom was yesterday shut after officials tested positive for Covid-19.

It would be recalled that the infection rate of the variant had spiked since it was first discovered in Nigeria in June, with daily infection rates as high as between 500 to 790 as at Wednesday, August 11, 2021.

But medical experts, including Nigeria Academy of Science, National President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, AMLSN, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, said government should enforce the Covid protocols to stop the spread of the virus.

The spread of the virus is coming as at least 22 states of the federation are battling cholera, which has infected over 30,000 persons with more than 1,000 deaths.

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ohanire, who stated this at the ministerial briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja said a lockdown would be the last measure because doing so would stifle the economy and restrict peoples freedom.

He said, “We are not at the level yet where we are feeling that threat to do any lockdown. Lockdown is a very last measure that countries are taking because it stifles economic activity, restricts your own freedom and your business- corporate business, private business, all are affected.

“So, its not something you do easily. Of course, when we were compelled to have that lockdown at the beginning , we learnt a lot of lessons.