With the daily rise of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ondo State, residents have continued to ignore the safety protocols earlier reeled out by the state government and other relevant agencies.
According to findings, the use of facemask and the regular washing or sanitizing of hands are now being practised for formality as against the need for protection.
The unhealthy practice has become a common phenomenon with huge concerns amongst stakeholders in the state, considering the daily reported cases of the deadly virus.
On Thursday night, Ondo State recorded its highest single-day coronavirus cases with 16 fresh infections, bringing to 105 the total number of cases in the state.
The figure was released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC following the confirmation of 745 cases of COVID-19 in the country.
It was the highest single-day infection recorded since the outbreak of the disease in February 2020.
In Akure, the Ondo State capital, the government directives on ways of curbing the disease has totally been ignored with the residents back to their daily routine.
At the Oja-Oba market in Akure, most of the stalls and shops now operate on a daily basis as against the directive of the government on Tuesdays and Thursdays as the approved market days with only the sales of foodstuffs allowed.
A visit to the market on Friday revealed that most of the traders and customers were not putting on facemasks with social distancing flagrantly ignored, while those seen wearing the mask hung it below their chin.
The situation was not different in Owo, headquarters of Owo Local Government as the residents were going about their businesses without minding the dangers of non-usage of the facemask.
A commercial motorcyclist popularly called ‘okada rider’ who gave his name as Tunji argued on the authenticity of COVID-19 as he dismissed its existence.
Tunji who was engaged by our correspondent said there is nothing like COVID-19 in Nigeria but claimed to always have his facemask in his pocket.
According to him, the facemask is more like a pass for him anytime he picks a passenger to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Owo, as he stressed that without the facemask no one would be allowed into the medical facility.
