As coronavirus multiplies at an unmeasurable speed, governments around the world take firm decisions to prevent the disease from spreading wild in their nations, yet many say the government of Cameroon has engage itself in adopting confusing and contradicting measures that might lead to a possible increase in the number of contaminated victims of the Covid-19 in Cameroon.
In a bid to contain the propagation of this nouvel coronavirus, the government via the Prime Minister, Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute, on March 17, came forth with some 13 measures amongst which the first clausestated that, “Cameroon’s lands, air and sea borders will be closed: consequently, all passengers flights from abroad will be suspended with exception of cargo flights and vessels, whose stopover will be limited and supervised…”
On March 18, a communiqué from the PM’s office signed by the Secretary General, SG, Seraphin Magliore Fouda, further stated that, “trade with foreign countries will continue with Chad and the Central African Republic in particular, without prejudice to the health control of the drivers.” Also, another press release issued March 19, by the aforementioned SG, rather went further to promote commercial exchanges among all countries within the CEMAC sub-region.
“…the PM, Head of Government, Joseph Dion Ngute, is pleased to inform the public that, during the period of application of the coronavirus pandemic in Cameroon, trade with all CEMAC states, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad, will continue, without prejudice to the health check of the drivers.”
Glancing after the counter-coronavirus strategies adopted by the government of Cameroon, one could feel that there is hidden agenda behind the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Cameroon. This is so because, from the understanding of ‘boundary closure’, there can be priority to certain things but at this era of the Covid-19, how can goods be imported into our dear fatherland “without prejudice to the health control of the drivers,” poses a serious problem. What if the drivers are coronavirus carriers and potential vectors of transmission? They will definitely spread it round, thereby, raising the number of potential victims of the pandemic.
Furthermore, the fourth point of government’s measures plainly prohibited gatherings of more than 50 persons throughout the National territory. In this light, the March 18 release highlighted that, “hearings in jurisdictions are maintained, respecting the number of maximum 50 people authorised for each grouping.”
In view with state’s measures to combat the ever dreaded Covid-19, the 11th point of the March 17 decisions, clearly calls on all public institutions to give preference to electronic and digital tools as means of communication,mainly for meetings likely to bring more than 10 people together during the period of lockdown.
However, contrary to supreme instructions, gatherings or meetings can still be seen both in public administrations and markets. Also, going by this resolution, government tells us that, Covid-19 can best be proliferated in groups of 50 persons and above, reason why, most people say, they would rather form groups of 49 and below in a bid no mitigate the transmission of a global disease.
Therefore, it seems like government did not think of the fact that amongst the 50 prescribed persons, there could be some infected people who will spread the virus unknowingly. Thus, government should rethink on its strategies aimed at curbing and limiting the propagation of the coronavirus within the national territory.
In view with the swift spread of the coronavirus within Cameroon, public opinion holds that, the best solution government should adopt to truly contain the propagation of this deadly pandemic, is to implement a total lockdown of the country regardless of the economic loss that would be registered.
By Annie Babelle Odounlami
