Covid-19: Lock Down Fever Grips Port Harcourt Residents

The renewed contention with the upsurge of the Covid-19 pandemic has sent palpable tentions across the country, as states are now on alert to avoid an incaution in filtration of the virus into their territories.
The Federal Government has already made known its move to update its covid protocols to avert further caving into the new covid onslaught.
With the latest report of the Nigeria Centre for Disease control, (NCDC), there is an increase in the rise of fatality of the pandemic, with prominent Nigerians reportedly, consumed by the corona scourge in Port Harcourt and its enrirons apprehensive and coathing the possibility of the sordid experiences foisted on the people by the corona crisis in the immediate past.
A random interview by The Tide Metro, revealed the visipal pall of apprehension on the part of the residents, who most conduced to the fact that they were barely picking up the scraps of their lives from the ravages of the corona virus pandemic.
A food vendor, Mrs Ilufiwa Joshua, who spoke with The Tide Metro, said she and her family were yet to recover from the tough times of the Covid-19, pandemic”. “I have been in this business for many years and my entire family, including my relatives survive on it. Things became so difficult for us when the covid-19 started and I stopped my business because of the lockdown, things became too hard that my little capital was used to take care of the entire family. I had to borrow money with interest to start my business again, I pray that there will be no lockdown, if a there’s lock down, people will suffer too much”.
An environmental sociologist, and University lecturer, Dr Steve Wordu, who spoke with The Tide Metro, said the Covid experience had affected the people badly as, “the effect was more psychological and tranmatising than physical.
He said, “during the peak of the lockdown, a lot of people were completely displaced out of economic activities and lost their lives not to Covid -19, but to frustration. The Government must be very sincere and cautious in handling issues that are sensitive to the people”.
Sociologist and public affairs analyst, Mr Pius Nwiday, also called for caution in the handling of the new covid scourge. He said: “Any lock down directives within this period of yuletide, where people are scrambling to travel to their various homes and communities will have serious effects on the people as they will be trapped and made to face difficulties.
“It is unfortunate that the actions of governments across the nation to Covid -19 pandemic is always reactionary, resulting in the suffering of the people. We are yet to see any meaningful antidote, against the covid scourge”.
Another respondent, Mr Tom Owunari, said a repeat of a series of lockdown, would spell doom for the people.
Owunari, a mother of four, said the covid experience was already negatively impactful on the populace, as “many families were broken, many people lost their jobs, and many children dropped out of school during the period of Covid -19 lockdown.
Mr Owunari, said it was extremely difficult for parents to get their children back to school, “it’s only God that helped us to cope with the stress of paying school fees and making daily provisions for the children and the entire house holds”. A recent UN report indicates that Nigeria and other 25 countries are likely to suffer acute hunger and poverty in the months ahead as a result of the covid 19 pandemic.
Government however, appears to be on the red alert over the unfortunate drift that will definitely unfold the reactions of the authorities to the grave challenges.

By: Taneh Beemene