Visionary Reports

Douala city dwellers no longer go as per barrier measure as most wear it only where access is denied.

With the outbreak of Covid 19, the wearing of mask was one of the most effective measures in the prevention of the spread of the disease. On the 17 of March 2020, the Prime Minster of Cameroon  His Excellency Chief Joseph Dion Ngute in  a government release made the wearing of mask obligatory for all people living in Cameroon. For a period of over five months the wearing of masks was the new normal. People went as far as including masks in their dressing styles as some will match their mask with their dresses.  Ladies saw it as an object of beauty and most will match their masks with their handbags, shoes, jewelries and so on.

Today, the story is different with the reduction of the rate of infected persons in Cameroon which stands at 20,598 as at September 23, 2020. According to the WHO statistics, out of the 20,598 infected, over 19,124 recovered cases have been registered. With this, most Douala inhabitance don’t find it necessary to wear face masks. A walk down the streets revealed that out of every 10 persons only 3 can now be seen with their masks. Some women now carry it in their hand bags while men carry theirs in the pockets and only wear it where access without mask is denied.

Mary Magdalene Ngatchue said she no longer wears mask because the infection rate of Covid has reduced. “Before now, I will never leave my house without a mask because I was afraid, but when I realized that the number of infected cases has reduced, I also stopped wearing mask often. Away from that, the number of people dying of Covid 19 in Cameroon has reduced and more to that Cameroon already has a treatment for it” Mary Magdalene Ngatchue explained.

Moise Tsayid said even when the infection rate of Covid was high, he hardly wore his mask. “I have problems with breathing so I could not wear a mask even now I hardly wear it. I prefer to stay at home so as not to get infected.

On the other hand some people are still glued to their masks as Covid is still around the corner. Jean Dipita, a taxi driver in Douala says he wear his mask daily. “I wear my masks so long as I am out for work. I only remove it when I retire home. If I have Covid at my age,  I will surely die and my profession exposes me a lot. I can’t joke with my mask” he reiterated.

While Covid is still around the corner, it is important for the population to always wear their masks.

By GINA ESONG