On Monday, May 4, 2020, the Nigerian government commenced the gradual re-opening of the country’s economy after five weeks of lockdown to fight the global Coronavirus pandemic.
With a week gone by in the two weeks of the first phase to restart the economy, there were reports of widespread breaches of the guidelines issued to contain the spread of the virus across the country which points to what the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 described as danger ahead in a nationwide spike in the number of new infections.
Nigeria like the rest of the world is battling to contain the most dangerous phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is community transmission with the number of new cases on the rise.
With the lockdown to contain the spread of the virus becoming unsustainable, the government announced the reopening of the economy over a six-week period spread over three phases of two weeks each.
The key guidelines for easing of the lockdown include mandatory wearing of face masks, temperature checks, hand washing and use of sanitizers, observance of physical distancing, and ban on public gathering.
It was, however, a chaotic situation in some parts of the country including the nation’s capital on the first day of the relaxation of the lockdown.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 expressed worry with the situation during its weekday national briefing asking security agencies to ensure strict enforcement of the guidelines.
Health officials including the Health Minister, Osagie Ehanire, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control Director-General, Chikwe Ihekweazu, were also not happy with the breaches of the guidelines, saying if the violations continue, the country may return to total lockdown.
Following fresh marching orders to security agencies, the second week of the first phase of the gradual easing of the lockdown may witness the strictest enforcement of the guidelines as this will determine whether or not the process of re-opening the economy will be continued or reversed in Africa’s most populous country and biggest economy.
A fresh set of guidelines for the second phase of the gradual easing of the lockdown is to be issued at the end of the week by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
