Residents of Akwa Ibom have continued to show nonchallant attitude towards the recent menace of COVID-19 in the country even as the number of positive cases continue to rise in the state.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control(NCDC) results revealed that 50 persons in the state tested positive to the virus on Friday, 54 on Saturday, and 8 on Sunday.
It was gathered that despite the availability of a COVID-19 laboratory and a 300 bed isolation centre, the State Government testing have been limited to people based on contact tracing of positive cases.
Observations across the state showed that people have returned to the pre-COVID-19 era of hugging and shaking themselves in large gatherings especially during weddings and burials disregarding existing protocols while regular hand washing have been completely abandoned in most public places and events.
In government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and other offices, emphasis on the use of COVID-19 safety protocols have also been greatly relaxed.
Visits to tertiary institutions like the University of Uyo showed no particular compliance or enforcement of the COVID-19 safety protocols, as some returning students maintained the status quo by not making use of the face masks.
About 80 percent of the students who made use of their facemasks had them on their chins, possibly to avoid being denied access at the gate, but remove them once inside the school premises.
The case is however different in public secondary and primary schools as water for hand washing and hand sanitizer were available at the entrance of the schools gates although pupils mingle freely once outside their classrooms.
The situation is worse in food markets like Akpan Andem, Etuk Street and Urua Ebot and Mechanic Village, all in Uyo metropolis as traders and buyers have all returned to the pre-COVID-19 era of no face masks or social distancing.
In Churches especially large ones where worshippers are usually overcrowded during night prayers and during Sunday Services, COVID-19 caution has been thrown away.
When the Chairman, Church Monitoring Team on COVID-19 in Uyo, Mr Enobong Uwah was contacted, he said that the committee has handed over the responsibility of ensuring compliance to the Christain Association of Nigeria (CAN) following the success of the initial monitoring exercise.
“Having sufficiently monitored it the first time, and having also seen that there was compliance, we handed it over to CAN to continue to monitor their members. But at the moment and following the second wave, the committee is now working on something to come up with guidelines for Churhces and other public places.
“We will reactivate the COVID-19 implementation committe. The committee took a decision in conjunction with CAN and we would call a meeting with CAN for them to know that Churches are not complying with the directives.” Uwah explained.
In hotels and entertainment centres, the emphasis on the use of face masks, hand sanitizers and washing of hands have greatly reduced.
Speaking on the possibility of a second lock down following the spike in positive cases, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Ini Ememobong said there were currently 300 active cases, adding that a second lockdown is the last option on the table.
Ememobong who said the 300 bed isolation centre would not be overstretched however advised citizens to comply with the safety measures put in place.
