The lockdown imposed on Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to reduce the coronavirus spread will be relaxed from Monday, May 4th.
President Muhammadu Buhari in a televised broadcast on NTA this evening, says the decision to ease the lockdown was taken in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the various Federal Government committees on socio-economic matters and the Nigeria Governors Forum.
Buhari, however, said relaxing the lockdown will be followed strictly with aggressive testing and contact tracing measures while allowing the resumption of “some economic and business activities in certain sectors.”
Speaking, the President revealed that relaxing the lockdown means “selected businesses and offices can open from 9 am to 6 pm” but an overnight “curfew will be imposed from 8 pm to 6 am” and “all non-essential movements will be prohibited during this period.
Explaining further on what ‘gradually’ relaxing the lockdown will be like, Buhari said residents will be allowed to move goods and services from producers to consumers within the same state but non-essential inter-state passenger travel still remains suspended.
Nigerians will also be mandated to wear face masks or coverings in public “in addition to maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene.” Also, there shall be no social and religious gatherings
The President finally stressed that the current lockdown will “remain in place until these new ones come into effect on Monday, 4th May 2020 at 9 am.”
Meanwhile, Buhari says he has directed the enforcement of a total lockdown in Kano for a period of two weeks effective immediately adding that “the Federal Government shall deploy all the necessary human, material and technical resources to support the State in controlling and containing the pandemic and preventing the risk of further spread to neighbouring States.
Finally, the President also saluted health workers and other essential staff on the frontline of the country’s response to the Coronavirus Pandemic.