Hold those violating COVID-19 safety precautions accountable

Many Nigerians are not taking the threat of COVID-19 seriously even when evidence indicates that the country is staring down a second, more virulent wave of the deadly pandemic. It is now time for the authorities to hold those violating rules enacted to keep the public safe, accountable.

Last week, a combined enforcement team of the Lagos State Police Command and the Lagos State Safety Commission arrested several people in night clubs in Surulere and Victoria Island for violating safety precautions.

The team, led by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Hakeem Odumosu, arrived in Surulere, at about 1AM and found scores of people clubbing – in contravention of the governor’s directive on the closure of clubhouses. The culprits also violated the 12a.m to 4a.m curfew imposed by the Federal Government to stem the spread of COVID-19, the government said.

“Residents are advised to avoid large gatherings and ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines. The second wave of the pandemic has continued to spread faster among Lagosians with increased cases of patients being admitted at isolation centres,” the government warned.

Read also: Covid-19 respects nobody – Amuwo-Odofin local govt chairman

We commend this move by the Lagos state government and encourage it to step up enforcement of these rules with the same energy around restaurants, large religious gatherings, in buses, and everywhere else where large crowds are likely to gather.

Despite travel warnings from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), many people still travelled from large cities to their hometowns to spend time with family. While it is not the Agency’s intention to deprive Nigerians the opportunity of meeting with family and friends, the time we live in does not bode well for non-emergency travels.

These rural areas have few hospitals and even fewer medical personnel than large cities like Lagos and many people living there are also less educated, therefore communal gatherings could easily morph into super spreader events. Without the requisite infrastructure and manpower, we can have a major crisis in these parts.

This is not the time to rest on our oars. This virus will not go away simply because we are tired of having it disrupt our lives. No, we cannot wish it away either. It calls for both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical precautions. Since we are yet to develop our own vaccine, our best option is to avoid large crowds, maintain physical distancing, wash our hands regularly, and use hand sanitizers where soap and water are not readily available.

According to the NCDC, 1,585 new infections have been recorded on Saturday. The rising number of infections is forcing the government to think seriously about a second lockdown. The reality is that if they continue to rise, the government may be forced to shut down the economy again. This is not an appealing prospect for an economy in a recession.

While many Nigerians have been found violating COVID-19 guidelines, what is even more troubling is the number of people publicly promoting falsehood and conspiracy theories about the vaccine. For the avoidance of doubt, these people are only seeking attention. In the US, several people who peddled falsehood about the vaccines are now taking the shots after watching close family members die of it. There are occasions for ‘seeing is believing,’ this is not one of them.

Mercifully, Nigeria is getting 100,000 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines and commendably, the government is starting with health workers. We urge government officials not to abuse this plan by cornering shots for their families and the only way to avoid this is by making the process open, and transparent.