Go out en-masse to sensitise the people on the inherent dangers associated with over-crowding, the Ondo State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Mrs. Grace Akpabio, has appealed to corps members.
Akpabio made the appeal when she featured on a live programme tagged Guest of the Week on FRCN Positive 102.5 FM Akure.
She expressed concern that with the relaxation on the lockdown order by the Federal Government, Nigerians would no doubt want to go back to their normal ways of life which is not the best given the present circumstance.
Akpabio hinted that even during the lockdown, some people deployed unwholesome ways to circumvent the system put in place and that that further compounded the challenges being faced during the current trying period.
“Let me say this, despite the lockdown order in some states especially FCT, Lagos and Ogun, the numbers of those who tested positive are on the increase whereas the number should have gone down.
“We have a very difficult challenge on our hands which we must face headlong and tackle with all precision procedures and precautionary measures to flatten the curve of COVID -19.”
She noted that since the government had relaxed the lockdown order, there would be need to sensitise the people as they would continue to converge in large numbers at public places such as markets, bus stops, shopping malls where contact tracing of infected persons would be difficult to carry out.
“My dear compatriots in the national service, go out and preach both social and physical distancing to our people in public places, who are at high risks of contacting the novel virus because of their refusal to abide by the precautionary measures put in place by the Federal Government and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.”
“If we remain obstinate and refuse to observe measures such as frequent hand washing with soap under running water for 20 seconds, applying hand sanitisers and staying in a very clean environment, using face mask and not going out unless it is absolutely necessary, I am afraid we may have more issues to contend with than mere infection,” she said.
The NYSC boss cautioned the members of the service corps not to see the window of opportunity created as a result of need to sensitise the public to go against the directives on curfew order.
She said they should avoid roaming about the streets just because they might be tired of staying indoors.
The state coordinator was accompanied on the programme by a corps doctor, Olasunkanmi Owolabi, who explained the procedures and steps to follow in order to contain the spread of COVID -19.
Owolabi whose place of primary assignment is Nigeria Police Force Clinic in Akure explained what must be done for people to stay safe.
He cautioned against the use of face masks not medically approved, but advised people to add tissue paper in the inner enclosure to serve as sieve to prevent infection.
NYSC Ondo State and Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, Vanguard have been in the forefront of supporting government at all levels in waging war against the Coronavirus pandemic with the mass production of Hand Sanitisers, Face masks, Liquid Soaps.
The materials produced were donated to hospitals and government agencies while palliatives were equally provided for indigent and vulnerable people in the society.