Nasarawa: Ado residents alert on free movement of COVID-19 contact suspects

Residents of Ado village in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have alerted the authorities on the free movement of Coronavirus (COVID-19) contact suspects in the community.

The residents expressed fear over the lackadaisical attitude of people living in a compound where a COVID-19 case was confirmed.

Some of them told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that they were afraid of further spread of the dreaded disease, as the people from affected compound were moving freely.

NAN recalls that Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State on Tuesday announced an additional case of COVID-19 in the state, affecting a driver with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

A resident, Ms Peace Etong, said she saw an NCDC Ambulance that conveyed a person suspected to be a COVID-19 victim that was taken to an isolation centre.

According to Etong, when NCDC picked the person away, the remaining occupants in the compound were advised to be on self-isolation for a while until they return.

But she regretted that the neighbours were acting in defiance of the expert advixe.

“I am in great fear when l saw someone from the very compound of affected person on top of a bike, after they were advised by the NCDC officials to stay isolated from others.

“From what I have been told, when the NCDC staff came to take the person away, they advised the occupants of that compound to stay in-door until they will return to examine them.

“But unfortunately, I saw one of them on top of a bike, and as we do not know their status yet, I am afraid of what could be the fate of other people within this area,’’ she said.

Etong urged the NCDC to engage in proper monitoring of cases of such nature, adding that this is the possible way of spreading the sickness, thereby making it difficult for government to have absolute control.

Mr Innocent Efa, another resident, said the spread and inability to curtail the dreaded disease could be attributed to such situation which, according to him, could be the resultant effect of rising death tolls in Nigeria.

“I can see reasons why this issue is difficult for government to control. In a situation like what we are witnessing now in our area, why shouldn’t we have rising cases when people refuse to obey simple instruction?

“And who knows, this may be the reason why death tolls rise in states of Lagos, Kano, Yobe, Adamawa and even FCT, due to non-adherence to measures to fight the disease,’’ he added.

According to Efa, the other occupants may not have developed the symptoms of COVID-19 yet, but they should have adhered to the instructions given to them by the NCDC for proper monitoring of their health.

He pleaded with occupants of the affected compound and other Nigerians to obey the simple advice by NCDC to help government to fight the disease in national interest.

Other residents have also urged the NCDC to monitor the area as it has just recorded a COVID-19 case, because the lives of other residents in the community are endangered. (NAN)