COVID-19: FG DIRECTS STATES TO PARTIALLY LOCKDOWN

All the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been directed to partially lockdown by closing all bars, night clubs, pubs and event centres, and recreational venues for the next five weeks as a precaution to stem the escalating cases of COVID-19 across the country.

The Chairman Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, and Secretary to government, Mr Boss Mustapha, who revealed this on Monday at the PTF briefing in Abuja, pointed out, that bars, night clubs, pubs and event centres, and recreational venues were listed to be closed for the period because these activities were considered super spreader events for coronavirus.

PTF chairman explained that all the states and the FCT are to restrict all informal and formal festivity events including weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, end of year events to not more than 50 persons, while Mosques and Churches should not be filled beyond 50 per cent of their installed capacity during prayer time.

According to Mustapha, President Muhammadu Buhari had authorised the PTF to engage with the states and the FCT to assume full ownership of this stage of the response.

The PTF he said, would deploy legal structures and resources, including enforcement to manage the pandemic within their jurisdictions in this regard.

The sub-national authorities are also to strictly enforce compliance with physical distancing and mandatory use of face masks.

Mustapha added that the federal government was also having a lot of discussions with the aviation and health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO), on the calls for the restriction of international travels due to the discovery of new strains of the virus in certain countries.

The PTF is expected to submit its end-of-year report to President Buhari today Tuesday, December 22, 2020.