Disinfection of public places is continuing in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest commercial city with the highest cases of the Covid-19 pandemic.
By Thursday, April 2, Nigeria has recorded a total of 174 confirmed cases of coronavirus with Lagos having 91. The state government last week began the disinfection of public places as a measure to contain the spread of the virus.
The disinfection team yesterday moved to Eti-Osa local government where it sprayed the railings of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge and Lekki Tollgate.
The exercise is expected to move in the coming days to Ikorodu, Lagos Mainland, Ajah, Apapa and the Igammu axis as the 14-day lockdown continues.
Amid the lockdown, residents of Lagos have started moving out to the streets in search of livelihood. In some parts of the metropolis, they were seen on Thursday engaging in various trading activities to earn a living.
Oluwasegun Benson, vector control consultant, ministry of Environment and Water Resources, said the exercise was to ensure a clean environment and protect the citizenry against contracting the virus.
“Mr Governor, who is the incident commander, mandated us to disinfect the whole of Lagos State, especially the parks and areas that are prone to infection spread, due to the handling of hand railings at bus stops and the likes.
“We disinfected the Lekki Tollgate and the Lekki/Ikoyi link bridge hand railings where many people jog. We felt it was necessary because a lot of hands touch the railings to reduce the possibilities of being infected when normal activities resume.
“We disinfect at night to ensure effectiveness and ensure the chemicals used will have no adverse effect on human health as it remains one of the means to kill the virus,” he said.
He explained that there were differences between disinfection and fumigation, depending on chemicals used and proper dilution rate.
“Disinfecting is sanitising or applying disinfectant that would kill viruses, while fumigation is using insecticides to kill pets.
“The viruses are invisible to the eyes, preferably such samples of disinfectant chemicals are Sodium hypo chlorides, Sulphur with a mix of hydrogen peroxide to make it effective for sanitising.
“That is why we are encouraged to make use of our hand sanitisers which contains about 70 per cent of alcohol; these are all the substances that kill viruses on surfaces,” Benson said.
Meanwhile, three days into the 14-day lockdown imposed by the Federal Government, residents of Lagos have started moving out to the streets in search of livelihood.
Compliance with the social distancing directive is also ebbing as many were seen on Thursday socialising and drinking together.
Notwithstanding the presence of the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC) and Nigeria Police Force on the roads, Lagosians were seen trekking long distances to their destinations.
In Ejigbo, hundreds were on the streets, engaging in their normal businesses.
“I have to go to the market this morning to buy foodstuff for my children before we all die of hunger,” said a women, who gave her name as Chichi Agu.
When asked how she made it to the food market at Council but stop from Idimu where her house is located, she said that commercial motorcycles and tricycles are always on the road to pick people.
“I never knew I can get vehicle to go to anywhere until this morning when one of my neighbours told me that she was able to go to the market yesterday (Wednesday) to shop for food stuff,” she said.
“My wife who does not have a car leaves our house in Ikotun area and was able to get transport to Egbada where her shop is. She has been going to do her normal business since Tuesday that the lockdown started,” said one Tony Obasi, who is his late 50s.
At the popular Ijesha market, women were also seen in their numbers in their shops buying and selling food stuffs to people.
JOSHUA BASSEY & AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
