This is an emergency

Lekan Otufodunrin

AFTER two days of staying at home to stay safe in accordance with the advice as part of measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus in the country, I drove to the office on Wednesday to see the how well people are complying generally.

As someone who runs his own organization, I had the option of deciding whether to work from home or not and so I opted to along with my staff. Working from home may have some limitations, but the situation we are dealing with is such that requires some sacrifice and staying safe.

The recurring call to maintain social distancing is informed by the fact that the rate of infection can be slowed down if movement of persons are restricted. For a disease that may not immediately manifest any symptom, more people can easily be infected as those infected move round unknowingly infecting others.

A public service video I watched on how to curb the spread through social distancing captured the attitude everyone should adopt for the world to get over the pandemic which has claimed thousands of lives globally.

” To slow down the rate of infection, behave as if you have already contacted it. Stay home as much as possible to stay safe,” the narrator stated.

However, it doesn’t seem many people appreciate the severity of the situation judging by what I witnessed when I drove to the office and back. Although people are aware of the danger the disease pose based on what they say, which sometimes are exaggerated, no thanks to circulation of many unverified claims, the level of observance of the precautionary measures is low.

I saw many people moving around doing business as usual. I saw fully loaded vehicles and Trycles.

Markets were opened with sellers and buyers far in excess of the 25-50 limits at any gathering as directed by the state governments.

A crowd of Okada riders were at a bus stop canvassing for passengers as some others walked by with not much room to avoid body contact.

Even some government workers asked to stay home must have taken advantage of the opportunity run their private businesses.

Even without asking, I can imagine the response of some of those I saw if asked why they are not staying back home or limiting their outing.

” If I stay at home how do I make money to eat and pay for other bills,” some may justifiably say.

It occurred to me that as much as people want to stay safe, they have a compelling need to earn what they need to meet their daily expenses.

However, considering the rising cases of infection across the country from only one in Lagos and now over 65 in seven states, the government has no choice but to take necessary measures to curtail movements.

The partial lockdown in Lagos and in many states is inevitable and everyone must understand it as such and do their best to comply. People don’t have to be forced to comply with the various directives which are in the interest of all to avoid a spike in the number of cases that could warrant a total lockdown.

If we all pay attention to our personal hygiene and abide by all the other guidelines, notwithstanding the inconvenience we may experience, we should be able to put the crisis behind us soon.

This is an emergency situation, even without the government saying so and emergency measures may be required to find a lasting solution.

Kudos to Governor Babajide SanwoOlu of Lagos State and all others governors who have risen up to the occasion to put in place necessary facilities and measures.

Kudos to private organizations and companies that have been supporting the various efforts in cash and kind.

Kudos to the federal government for providing the required leadership and support.  kudos to medical personnel and other essential services workers who have been working round the clock.