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The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr, Chikwe Ihekweazu has given reasons why the government allowed markets to be opened and left places of worships locked in the country.
Speaking with journalists at the daily press briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, on Monday, Ihekweazu said the decision to open markets and close places of worship was because ‘food is an existential issue’.
He said: “We are not even saying we are happy with the markets across the country. But we are really still appealing to everyone in those markets to help us make it (preventing transmission) work.
“We know that many of our markets were not built for an era of COVID-19. We’re sure about that. Our markets are historically very congested places with many ports of entry, very difficult to control access; in fact, a perfect place for transmission.
“So, by no means are we saying the marketplaces are the examples of perfect locations for managing transmission. We have to allow markets to continue because people have to eat.”
According to NCDC records, as at May 4, Nigeria has a total of 2,802 #COVID19 cases, 417 discharged, and 93 deaths.
