Anxiety Over Rising COVID-19 Cases In Nasarawa

• As State Govt abandons safety protocols

• Concerned Doctors threaten downing tools

BY AHMED TUKUR, LAFIA – As the second wave of COVID-19 continue to take its toll in the country daily, residents of Nasarawa State are worried about the growing risk of their contracting the deadly virus in the state.

With some residents openly expressing fears about the disturbing situation, a visit to most public places in the state revealed that precautionary measures and protocols previously in place to stem the virus spread have virtually been abandoned.

With its Laboratory confirmed cases at 1.051; 713 cases on admission; 325 discharged cases; and 13 deaths so far recorded, the Nasarawa state COVID-19 figure is daily on the rise with its prevalence being among high profiled personalities.

Already, dozens of doctors have reportedly tested positive and are now threatening to down tools if urgent measures are not put in place to improve their condition of services and protect their lives as frontline workers

Also, amid rising wave of risky behaviours in the state, the mammoth crowd that turned out to welcome Governor Engineer Abdullahi Sule who recently returned home from his vacation abroad totally spurned existing COVID-19 protocols in their jubilant mood.

Besides, the state Committee on COVID-19 chaired by Deputy Governor Emmanuel Akabe now hoards important information and longer briefs the public on government’s efforts to keep the state safe and free from the toxic virus.

Sources close to some Committee members said also worrisome is the fact most Nasarawa residents are now kept in the dark as no one is talking about the next line of action as was the case during the first wave of the pandemic.

Forefront checks revealed that markets and other places of essential needs are now opened to the public without regular temperature checks and ensuring people abide by existing protocols of wearing face masks and hand washing.

Equally, commercial vehicles are also flouting the directive on reduced number of passengers to moderate body contact while illegal motor parks have continued their services unabated.

In most government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) agencies, aside the state Ministry of Health and Education, observance of COVID-19 protocols are now in obvious breaches by officials and members of the public.

In some of the places visited, it was observed that the officials have abandoned the hand washing machines; pushed the equipment aside; and no longer put them into good use.

At some of the ministries, over eighty per cent of the staff were not wearing the face masks and the same apply to most of the visitors.

Our findings also revealed that members of the public with any of the symptoms outlined by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are now resorting to self-medication; relying on steaming and drinking of herbs at home.

A tomato seller in Lafia New Market, Hamidu Saleh, confirmed to Forefront that many people, especially traders in the market, prefer taking local herbs anytime they are having any of the symptoms as the public no longer gets adequate information from the government Committee as was the standard practice.

For Kefas Muyi, a motorist in Mararaba area of Karu local government area, the inaccessibility of government officials to counsel people at the motor parks or public places is quite worrisome.

He said availability of health officials on ground at the motor parks and other public places would have aided the process of checking COVID-19 prevalence in the State.