Residents of northeast Nigeria have expressed delight at the apparent massive decline in COVID-19 daily cases, and many are behaving as though the pandemic is over.

However, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 says that the number of coronavirus cases recorded across the country is declining due to the declinea reduction in testing by states.

The Head of Disease Surveillance for the NCDC, Elsie Ilori, who disclosed this on Monday during the COVID-19 briefing said that the low testing was due to low sample collection.

He added that decline in cases doesn’t mean the pandemic is over, appealing to the people to take all necessary measures put in place to contain the further spread of the virus, noting that, if care was not taken the second wave of the pandemic is unavoidable.

Nigeria, a country with 58, 460 confirmed cases and 1,111 fatalities, recorded its index case in February last year but half of its citizens still doubt the existence of the virus.

Batul Kashim who once thought that COVID-19 was a hoax, said the decline in the cases is a welcome development. She is now doing evrything possible to protect herself from the virus.

According to Mustapha Ali Abbagana, it is good that cases are dropping now, adding that it is obvious that the virus cannot survive in a sunny environment like in northeast Nigeria. However, science has not proven this claim.

Umar Ahmed from Sulaimanti Damboa road area of Maiduguri, a shop owner, while speaking to our reporter Rukayya Ahmed Alibe said that the pandemic is over and he is very glad. He added “before I used to have handwashing equipment, hand sanitiser at the front of my shop, and it is mandatory for buyers to wash or sanitise their hands before entering, but now that is no longer compulsory”, he added.

RNI reports that none of the people interviewed recently were wearing face masks nor maintaining social distancing, and that none of them could recall the last time they wore a face mask.