The federal government has issued a stern warning about the implications of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a recent statement, Sani Aliyu, the National Coordinator, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said that a second wave of the coronavirus would mean the destruction of the Nigerian economy and many deaths.
While speaking in Abuja, Aliyu said:
Specifically, we urge businesses that are reopening to align themselves to our efforts by establishing and practicing COVID-19 sensitive business precautionary measures. “We eventually have to reopen, but we can only do so if we reopen safely. It’s quite clear, as we can see from the other parts of the world, that certain countries are now going back into lockdown state because of the pandemic coming back again, otherwise called recrudescence or what we call a second wave.
We really cannot afford to have this happening in this country. It’ll destroy our economy and it will lead to a lot of deaths. Therefore, we ‘ve to reopen safely, we cannot risk another shutdown nor can we risk more lives being lost.”
He added:
As our airspace and various sectors are opening up, it’s really very easy to forget and be fooled into complacency, but we really shouldn’t.
Although it is far too early to draw conclusions, it is noteworthy that testing increased by over 40,000 in one month and the number of positive cases dropped by more than 2,000. But we must not rest on our oars: it is just suggestive of the fact that our strategy is not failing, and we must continue to sustain efforts.”
