The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has warned Nigerians that failure to comply with the COVID-19 protocols could result in a second wave of infections in the country.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, on Saturday, reported 162 new COVID-19 cases in Gombe (54), FCT (35), Lagos (26), Ogun (12), Plateau (10), Rivers (10), Kaduna (4), Ekiti (3), Edo (2), Osun (2), Bayelsa (1), Imo (1), Ondo (1) and Oyo (1).
As of October 31, the country had recorded a total of 62,853 confirmed cases, 58,675 discharged and 1,144 deaths.
Ehanire gave the warnings on Saturday during the virtual Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Guild of Medical Directors in Lagos State with the theme ‘Post-COVID-19 Era: Economics and Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria.’
The minister observed that the second wave of the virus presently ravaging Europe and America should give the country concern because of the high volume of human traffic from Nigeria to those continents, reopening of schools and “serious disruptions” in response caused by the #EndSARS protest.
He said, “I fear that with the laxity displayed by our own population, our own second wave is imminent.”
Ehanire called on the private sector and state governments to help propagate compliance to non-pharmaceutical measures such as hand-washing, use of face masks and social distancing, among others.
