Coronavirus: NCDC Boss finally reveals when Nigeria will return to normalcy

Onyxnews Nigeria reports that Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has finally reveals when conditions will return to normal in Nigeria.

He said that Nigeria and the rest of the world will not be returning to order in this year, 2020.

Ihekweazu made this revelation at an annual event organised by the Poju Oyemade Covenant Nation on Saturday.

The NCDC boss said situation may return to order next year, at the very least after the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Ihekweazu stated that Nigeria, like other countries, is faced with difficulties that will take some time to end in the case of the virus.

The NCDC boss said; “Every country is right now looking at the same challenge and how to get us back to some level of normalcy, but the reality is that we are going to live with COVID-19 for the next year at the very least.”

He went further to say Nigeria has to start thinking about how to live safely with the disease, adding that it was obvious that some of the changes being introduced because of the disease were actually good things to have forever.

“The emphasis on handwashing, sanitisers, respiratory hygiene; my goal as the leader of the NCDC is that we continue this forever,” Ihekweazu said.

“That we don’t go back like we did post-Ebola to an era of not washing our hand, not only will they prevent COVID but they will prevent so many other diseases from spreading, ultimately leading us into a better future.”

He also pointed out that the thing about mass gathering will be a big problem for Nigeria and the rest of the world, “but we have to try.” “Every business, every church… every religious gathering of any form, social gatherings, weddings, we really have to rethink how we do this in the short term.

“It’s a sacrifice we would have to make as a people, as a country, to get over this. It will be a challenging time, but this is a sacrifice we would have to pay — we are not alone in this, even the countries we looked up to are facing the same challenges, there is no easy solution,” NCDC DG said.

Ihekweazu emphasised that now was the time to build the country despite challenges and find indigenous ways to treat the pandemic coronavirus and make Nigeria recover on time.

He advised that Nigerians must bear this short term pain in order to gain the long term opportunity to return to “normal socially rich life we are known for. “If there is one great thing that would come out of this, it is that we reinforce our personal hygiene,” Ihekweazu added.