The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to extend for the second time the lockdown imposed on some states to curb the spread of COVID-19.
According to the association, the extension will help to save the lives of Nigerians.
Recall that Buhari first imposed a two-week lockdown on Lagos, Ogun, and the FCT effective Monday, March 30.
Before its expiration on Monday, April 13, the president extended it by a further two weeks until Monday, April 27.
But as the nation eagerly awaits a review of the lockdown order, which has been replicated by many state governors, on Monday, the NMA urged the president to extend it a second time due to the exponential increase in recorded COVID-19 cases in the country.
NMA also appealed to Nigerians not to see the lockdown as a punishment but as a necessary measure to contain the deadly virus.
“If we say we want to contain the spread and we are having exponential increase, is that when we should open up and resume work? It’s obvious that it’s not the time to open up.
“We are just getting to the peak and the spread is still ascending the slope. You can only ease the lockdown when you are seeing a lesser number of new cases. Would you also say Kano State should open up and resume normal activities when the cases are just being detected?
“Things that are unfolding show that we need to enforce even more. However, if we want to enforce the lockdown, then we should do things that would make life easier for people. That is to call on the government to do the needful in the fair distribution of the palliatives so that people can stay at home.
“It is for the benefit of the people that the lockdown rules should be respected. It is not a punishment. The consequence of not extending it is that those who may harbour the virus will be mixing freely in society and would be transmitting the virus to those who are not yet infected. That won’t be good,” Sunday Punch quoted NMA National President, Dr Francis Faduyile as saying.
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