COVID-19: Kaduna govt extends restrictions by two weeks

The Kaduna State Government has extended the restriction order imposed in the state by another two weeks.

A three-week order was declared by the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in the first week of May.

The quarantine order ends on Tuesday, May 26.

Deputy Governor Hadiza Balarabe made the new announcement in Kaduna on Tuesday.

According to the state government, after reviewing the recent report by the state committee on COVID-19, it resolved as follows:

“From Monday, 1st June 2020, the revised regulations will come into effect. They give citizens a three-day window every week to shop for food and other essentials. Until otherwise stated, the lockdown-free days will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from next week.

“The adjusted orders expand the ability of citizens to resume the pursuit of livelihoods, in permitted sectors subject to compliance with health and safety protocols. Private sector firms that meet these requirements will also operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays…

“This window also allows vulcanizers, welders, mechanics, and providers of similar services to operate on the same lockdown-free days.

“Schools, places of worship & markets will remain closed under the adjusted orders. KDSG officials will be engaging with religious leaders, transport unions, traditional institutions, market unions, school proprietors and other stakeholders on the circumstances for safe reopening

“Restaurants will be allowed to open strictly to offer takeaway services. However, bars, sporting venues, and event centers remain closed as are hotels that have not been specifically licensed as essential service providers during this period.

“The public sector will also use the two-week extension to prepare for limited resumption. Heads of Ministries, Department, and Agencies will ensure that government offices are reconfigured for physical distancing and that handwashing facilities are available.”

It added that according to the COVID-19 review report, “many of the cases recorded in Kaduna State have either been from persons with a history of interstate travel or their contacts. Personal responsibility is the weapon that every citizen must wield to ensure proactive protection for themselves and others from infection by COVID-19.”

“The danger from COVID-19 has not gone away. It remains a very infectious and disruptive disease. Therefore, to avoid its perils and protect lives, citizens must henceforth take the lead, as individuals with responsibility for themselves, their families, and their societies,” the government said.

Kaduna State has so far conducted 1,900 tests and recorded a total of 189 Covid-19 cases as of May 25.