Lockdown Cannot be Lifted Yet – NCDC DG

The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu has said the lockdown in many states of the country cannot be lifted yet because of the growing number of coronavirus cases.

Speaking on Friday at a media briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, Ihekweazu while appealing to Nigerians for patience and endurance, said the country has not gotten to a state where the restriction on movement will be relaxed.

“We will eventually exit this stage and restart our normal life but that stage is still a while to come and I ask for your endurance, support and patience. Lots of efforts are going on across the world to find new therapy, to find vaccine.

“Everybody is pushing hard along this direction. We need unprecedented level of caution to continue carrying out the preventive measure that we have advised many times on this platform.

“Many families have not been able to bury their dead, rescheduled their marriages and baptism and everything they are doing. In a way, life is in suspense. Everyone recognises the sacrifice Nigerians have made but we really have to encourage one another to continue to a position where we can relax some of that (lockdown) but until we get to that place, we have to continue in the short term.

“We are working hard to reach a point where we can relax some of these measures but we are not there yet. We ask you to join us to continue this journey with us and amplify these messages that we are giving. We are happy to have the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress here with us today (Friday)” Ihekweazu said.