By NOELA EBOB BISONG
Desperate situations require desperate measures! Observers in Cameroon hold. The progressive spread of the coronavirus in the country to an alarming 555 confirmed cases at press time, is causing panic, and opinions are being voiced on what must be done by government to curb the spread, before things get out of hand in the days ahead.
While official figures from the ministry of public health tells of 555 cases with 9 deaths and 17 recoveries at press time, public opinion holds that the figures are actually above a thousand. The first case in Cameroon was made public last March 6, 2020 but the spread has been fast and within four weeks, cases are now being counted in hundreds.
Public Health minister, Manaouda Malachie, last April 3 2020, re-echoed that government’s strategy in the fight remains; massive and generalised testing, placement in immediate treatment of cases, awareness of the populations (hygiene, distance, etc.), border control.
Measures have been made public by the state to combat the spread of the virus, but though these measures were put in place last March 18, 2020 when there were just about 20 recorded cases, the figures have kept soaring daily and it is becoming evident that much still has to be done to address the situation.
To an extent, mind-sets are being changed, as hands are being washed with soap and running water, close contacts are being avoided (handshakes and embraces), gatherings of above 50 persons prohibited, social distancing observed in some settings, video conferencing engaged etc, yet the increase is on!
The president of the Republic, Paul Biya on March 31, 2020 ordered the creation of an Emergency Solidarity Fund with FCFA 1 billion to attain to the situation and Cameroonians, like Baba Danpullo, Senator Ngouchinge Sylvester (Congelcam boss) have begun supporting the initiative, but popular opinion remains that the government of Cameroon is still very far from adequately addressing the situation.
With the exponential increases, talking about April 3, 2020 when 203 positive cases was recorded within 24 hours (the highest daily record so far), with 8 deaths, the government of Cameroon is being urged to take a landmark measure to shut down the nation entirely, or at least partially, talking about the most affected towns of Yaounde, Douala and Baffoussam. This, they believe, remains the most possible way of containing the virus which has no cure.
Those clamouring for such desperate measures to be taken, are quoting other African countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana etc who have so far been engaging exemplary measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 in their respective nations. The table below portrays some of the initiatives taken so far by a number of African countries: