There seems to be an aura of excitement and a glimpse of hope that the end of the COVID-19 disease is near, as the country has continued to witness a significant drop in the number of cases and deaths. Although experts have warned that the total reopening of the economy may be too hasty, Nigerians are of the opinion that the country has reached its peak and the law of diminishing returns is now setting in.
P+ Measurement Services analysts in its monthly review noted that the country has seen a massive drop in the number of new cases and deaths and an increase in the number of recoveries in the month of August. According to data gathered from the website of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), a total number of 10,857 confirmed cases, 22,073 persons discharged and a total number of 134 deaths were recorded in August. This brings the total figure to 54,008 total number of confirmed cases, 41,638 number of discharged persons and 1,013 deaths since the virus made its way into the country.
It will be recalled that the Presidential Task Force (PTF) led by Boss Mustapha recently postponed the return of international flights in and out of the country citing lack of preparedness. However, this was met with criticisms as the citizens believed President Buhari should fully reopen the economy.
A ray of hope was offered by the Russian Government who stated that it has released the first batch of the vaccine. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said the vaccine was safe and that one of his own daughters had been inoculated, though clinical trials were not yet complete and final stage testing involving more than 2,000 people is still on. This was met with caution from scientists and the World Health Organization who said it still needed a rigorous safety review.
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