The Nigerian Medical
Association (NMA) has warned governors against easing the lockdown declared in
the wake of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Some governors had relaxed the ban for Jumat and forthcoming Easter.
But in a statement
on Friday, Francis Faduyile and Olumuyiwa Odusote, NMA president and
secretary-general respectively, said this could be a setback to measures to
check the spread of the virus.
“Of particular
concern is the declaration by the Cross River State Governor that social
distancing is not needed while wearing a face mask,” the association said.
“A moratorium on the
lockdown to allow mass gathering in mosques and churches from Friday to Sunday
in Rivers; the lifting of the ban on Friday prayers by the Katsina and Kogi
governments.
“We are aware that
similar orders have also been given in Ondo, Ebonyi and Imo states which have
approved mass attendance of Easter services.
“While appreciating
the prime place of religion in our national lives and especially the value
Christians place on Easter, we place on record that there is now the evidence
of community transmission of COVID-19.”
The NMA appealed to
authorities to rescind their decision in the interest of the safety of lives
and implored the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to ensure that such
gatherings do not take place.
As of April 9, 2020,
Nigeria had recorded 288 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Lagos currently has the
highest number of confirmed cases with 158 patients.
However, of that
figure, 46 persons have been discharged from the Infectious Diseases Hospital,
Yaba.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com