ENDSARS: Expect Spikes In COVID-19 Cases Next Two Weeks – PTF

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has predicted a spike in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the country.

Chairman of the task force, Boss Mustapha, made the prediction on Monday at its weekly press briefing held in Abuja.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said the prediction was due to the total disregard for the preventive guidelines against the virus, exhibited by thousands of Nigerians protesting in the ongoing #Endsars campaign across various cities in the country.

Thousands of Nigerians have in the past 10 days, taken to strategic areas  across Abuja, Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Rivers and several other states to protest against reported police brutality, harassment and extra-judicial killings, said to be perpetrated by the operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Mustapha lamented: “Truth be told, two weeks from today, if you get all the people that congregated at the Lekki top plaza and run a test, you would establish for sure several infections. Any mass gathering that does not adhere to the non phamacautical interventions that have been put in place, which are wearing of masks, social distancing, keeping personal hygiene and avoiding mass gatherings, they become super spreader events whether you like it or not.

“So I can say with a definitive voice that two weeks from today, get everybody that congregated in those places, not only at the Lekki toll plaza, but also the Unity Fountain in Abuja but several other places, we would definitely be contending with increase in infections, two weeks from now, and that’s why we must be extremely careful when we congregate.”

Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed cases of the disease in the country as of Sunday, October 18th, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is 61,440 confirmed, with 56,611 discharges and 1,125 deaths.