The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) has cautioned Nigerians on the partial lifting of lockdown directives by the Federal Government.
Dr Lanre Olosunde, the Chairman of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), gave the advice on Sunday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.
Olosunde lamented that the partial lifting of lockdown was not the best choice at the moment.
NAN reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had announced the gradual phasing out of the country’s lockdown in the FCT-Abuja, Ogun and Lagos States from May 4.
The president ordered for a gradual easing of the lockdown order while putting additional measures in place to address the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.
However, the ARD chairman said: “I think it is not the best choice at this time when we are really seeing the evidence of active community spread of COVID-19.
“This is coupled with the fact that our testing capabilities are still far below what is required.
“I sincerely pray we won’t get to the number of the deaths recorded in Italy or that of United States,” he said.
Olosunde therefore advised Nigerians to follow the advice of medical experts on prevention of COVID-19.
He said those who were elderly or those at any age who have underlying chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), HIV and cancer, among others, need to take extra precautions and if possible stay at home because they are the most vulnerable to this disease.
He said people should beware that COVID-19 is deadly, adding that we have seen what it has done to people in other climes.
The ARD chairman however pointed out that the fear of COVID-19 should rather drive all of us to behave responsibly and follow laid down rules to ensure the prevention of spread and not to panic.
“Everyone should also be prepared for another round of possible lock downs if cases continue to increase exponentially,” he advised.
