By Safiyanu Ladan Zaria
Some few days ago, the Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai appeared in a short video clip informing the people of the state, that some people close to him, including an immediate family member and senior official of the Kaduna State Government, have been tested positive of the Covid-19.
While appealing to the residents of the state to observe all the protocols and preventive measures of Covid-19 such as washing hands, wearing of face masks, physical distances and so on, The Governor is in self-isolation in line with the precautionary guidelines of the Covid-19 awaiting a test on Sunday.
Moreover, the state Ministry of Health released a press briefing acknowledging the rising rates of COVID-19 cases in the state. The statement which was read by the Commissioner Of Health Hajiya Amina Mohammed- Baloni said among other things that ~
The State Ministry of Health wishes to update the public on the rising rate of COVID-19 in the state while appealing for an urgent action by the residents to help stop the spread of the disease to save lives.
The state is now recording high infection figures reminiscent of the first wave of COVID-19 spread in April, May and June, 2020. The conditions that compelled 75 days lockdown is now being replicated.
On 26th November, 2020, of the 531 samples taken in the state, 75 were positives, so also on 11th September, 2020, the state recorded 117 positive cases from 518 samples.
The current wave of increase in the spread of infections is due to the reopening of schools, markets, places of worship and recreational centers as earlier expected by the government.
If the rate of spread retain or exceeds the current pace, the government will have no option than to recommend the temporary closure of schools, markets, offices and places of worship.
Now that the government announced the closure of the entire school in the state, the lockdown is imminent. What we wait to see is whether the people of the state would comply or not.
With the schools reopen and other business activities back to normal, imposing a lockdown in the state will be thrown out the already impoverished people into more hardships and difficulties. Hence, the government needs to desist from this ill decision.
Failure to do so will attract an unprecedented resistance from people that will further cripple the fragile security situations of the state.
