COVID-19: Residents Say No To Another Lagos Lockdown

Lagos residents have appealed to Governor Sanwo-Olu to consider other ways of combating the COVID-19 pandemic and spare another lockdown.
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The appeal followed the State Government’s poll on social media soliciting votes on whether the government should declare another phase of total lockdown in Lagos following the rising cases of COVID-19.

As of 5pm, the poll which commenced on Tuesday had 60,284 votes with 50 percent of participants supporting lockdown, 38 per cent saying no and 11 percent neutral.

Despite having a lower vote in the poll billed to end on Friday, most residents took to Twitter to beg the state government to jettison any plan for another lockdown because the people have to learn to live with the virus fir as long as it lasts.

Trending #NoLagosLockdown, they argued that a greater percentage of the population suffered untold hardship during the first phase with a lot of people almost starving to death.

They said there was need for people to be exposed to the virus so they can be immune to it, adding that locking down was unnecessary since the virus is as common as a flu.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant Babatunde Gbadamosi argued that another lockdown was unnecessary as it would cause hunger.

He said: “Considering that government could do more testing, provide immune-boosting supplements, face masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), procure treatment medication like Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc-sulphate and Azithromycin, Pax Covid and Prof. Iwu’s solution; is lockdown necessary when it will cause hunger?

Similarly, Chidimma Ifeoma: “Your Excellence sir, the lockdown is uncalled for. Do you want to kill your citizens. People cannot stay home if they do not have what will sustain them at home.”

Linda Triump said the lockdown has proven to be more harmful to health and not needed in Lagos nor anywhere else.
Giem Denise said: “No palliative was distributed during the last lockdown, hunger increased, people lost their jobs, insecurity increased. Coronavirus cases didn’t drop either.”

To Rachael Emmanuel, lockdown could lead to more deaths, wondering what will happen to pupils whose parents cannot afford devices that enable e-learning should thr lockdown continue indefinitely.

Sharpman Olumati said: “We achieved one thing with the lockdown and that is NOTHING! Absolutely nothing. Only fools continue repeating same patterns and cycles with expectations of radically different results.

Chinedu Kejeh wrote: “You still have data to come online, your office paid you full salary, you can still order food to your doorstep, you have steady electricity supply, that’s why you can vote for the continuation of a most ineffective lockdown.

“How did we become so selfish and callous? How did we get to the point were we can comfortably shut our eyes to the glaring suffering of many poor people in our society. You are ignoring a visible enemy (hunger) to fight an invisible enemy (COVID 19).

“The lockdown is anti-science. The only result we can see is further untold hardship. In New York City 66% of the infected popu|ation were at home, and only 2% of that infected population were homeless people. What does this suggest?

“Maybe when you loose your job, maybe when you exhaust your savings, maybe when your safe neighborhood is attacked by hungry bandits and robbed of not money but foodstuffs, maybe, just maybe your eyes wouId be open to the utter folly behind an extended lockdown.”

Also Arewa Omidan said any lockdown without corresponding palliative was futile effort. “Despite the lockdown cases are increasing. Some have lost their jobs. How do people like private school teachers survive? Uber drivers and many others?

“If you lock them in again be ready for the outcome. If you reaIly care about the people you are leading, remember there are those who have to go out everyday to make a living. If you can’t take care of them, then there’s no need for another lockdown.”

Inferring that COVID-19 was not a death sentence that warrants keeping people locked in their homes, Elizabeth Paseda said: “Mauritius declared total recoveries from coronavirus infections as of May 11. The island nation’s official COVlD-19 page said 322 people had recovered out of the 332 confirmed cases so far. 10 people have since died.”
However, The Nation gathered that the government was still consulting major stakeholders and would reach a decision this weekend on best approach to combating the virus.