COVID 19 Scare: FG Orders Nationwide Curfew

By Fola James

Fears over the resurgence of COVID 19 has forced the Federal Government to re-introduced a nationwide 12am to 4am curfew, as part of efforts to curtail the global pandemic that has killed millions of people across the world.

Lagos state and other states in the country had recently directed that normalcy returns after reduction in the number of infections across the country. But the fear that the virus could rebound has been spreading in the last few days, particularly at a time that India is dealing with the second wave of the pandemic, with thousands deaths being recorded daily.

The Buhari administration is trying to prevent a resurgence of the pandemic, according to the National Incident Manager, Mukhtar Mohammed, who said at a press briefing of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 in Abuja, that the curfew would take effect from midnight on Monday, May 10.

Mohammed also disclosed that effective from from Tuesday, night clubs, gyms, and others would remain closed across the country till further notice. It, however, remains sketchy if the 36 state governments and FCT have been consulted and their buy-in on the issue received.

He also stated that gatherings of religious groups and weddings among others have been reduced to 50 percent attendance, while official engagements, meetings, and conferences should continue to hold virtually.

He said hotels are to remain open while adhering to all non-pharmaceutical interventions while schools are to deploy the use of antigen-based rapid tests as recommended in the guidelines by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, while indoor recreational facilities and gyms are to close until June 11 when the situation will be reviewed while non-contact outdoor sports such as gulf, Polo and tennis among others are not affected.

Mohammed said, “Further to these recommendations and effective from 01hours of Tuesday, May 11, 2021, this Phase IV of the phased restriction of movement shall come into effect.

“We shall maintain restrictions on mass gatherings outside work settings with a maximum number of 50 people in an enclosed space.

“Approved gatherings must be held with physical distancing measures and other non-pharmaceutical interventions in place. Enforcement of a mandatory requirement of a seven-day quarantine for all international passengers arriving from foreign destinations while institutional quarantine for international passengers arriving from the three countries of India, Brazil and Turkey.

“Enforced temperature checks and no mask, no entry policy in all public settings; workplace buildings, businesses and places of worship etc. Access to Government and commercial premises should be denied to persons without facemasks.

“The nationwide curfew will be imposed tonight at midnight and it will run through till 4am. No formal restrictions on movement within the country even as citizens are encouraged to refrain from non-essential movements and comply with all non-pharmaceutical interventions and guidelines.

“People who are above 60 and or with comorbidities are encouraged to stay at home. Only essential international travels are encouraged.”,

Meanwhile, Lagos state tops the list of states with new COVID 19 infections according to the figures recently released by the NCDC. The aquatic state has been the epicenter of the pandemic since it first broke out in March last year.