…Approves nationwide overnight curfew, ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travel till further notice
…Says use of face masks, coverings in public now mandatory
President Muhammadu Buhari Monday announced a one-week extension of the movement restrictions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun states as part of measures to control the spread of COVID-19 disease in the country.
In a nationwide broadcast, the president extended the lockdown to Monday, May 4, 2020 when new measures aimed at strengthening government’s efforts to contain the spread of the disease would come into effect.
“In line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the various federal government committees that have reviewed socio-economic matters and the Nigeria Governors Forum, I have approved a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos and Ogun States effective from Monday, 4th May, 2020.
“However, this will be followed strictly with aggressive reinforcement of testing and contact tracing measures while allowing the restoration of some economic and business activities in certain sectors.
“Furthermore, new nationwide measures are to be introduced as follows; a. There will be an overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am. This means all movements will be prohibited during this period except for essential services; b. There will be a ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travel until further notice; c. Partial and controlled interstate movement of goods and services will be allowed for the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers; and d. We will strictly ensure the mandatory use of face masks or coverings in public in addition to maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun States shall remain in place until these new ones come into effect on Monday, 4th May 2020,” he said.
The president said restrictions on social and religious gatherings shall remain in place, and called on state governments, corporate organisations and philanthropists to support the production of cloth masks for citizens.
The president also expressed concern over the negative effects of the lockdown, saying that no country can afford a sustained lockdown, hence the need for measures to ease difficulties being faced by the citizens.
“However, such lockdowns have also come at a very heavy economic cost. Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihood. Many businesses have shut down. No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines.
“In my last address, I mentioned that Federal Government will develop strategies and policies that will protect lives while preserving livelihoods.
“In these two weeks, the Federal and State Governments have jointly and collaboratively worked hard on how to balance the need to protect health while also preserving livelihoods, leveraging global best practices while keeping in mind our peculiar circumstances.
“We assessed how our factories, markets, traders and transporters can continue to function while at the same time adhering to NCDC guidelines on hygiene and social distancing.
“We assessed how our children can continue to learn without compromising their health. We reviewed how our farmers can safely plant and harvest in this rainy season to ensure our food security is not compromised. Furthermore, we also discussed how to safely transport food items from rural production areas to industrial processing zones and ultimately, to the key consumption centres.
“Our goal was to develop implementable policies that will ensure our economy continues to function while still maintaining our aggressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These same difficult decisions are being faced by leaders around the world,” he said.
The president said Nigeria continues to adapt to new global COVID-19 realities on a daily basis.
“Exactly two weeks ago, there were 323 confirmed cases in 20 States and the Federal Capital Territory. As of this morning, Nigeria had recorded 1,273 cases across 32 States and the FCT. Unfortunately, this includes 40 deaths.
“I am using this opportunity to express our deepest condolences to the families of all Nigerians that have lost their loved ones as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is our collective loss and we share your grief,” he said.
He said initial models predicted that Nigeria would record an estimated 2,000 confirmed cases in the first month after the index case.
“This means that despite the increase in the number of confirmed cases recorded in the past two weeks, the measures we have put in place thus far have yielded positive outcomes against the projections.
“The proportion of cases imported from other countries has reduced to only 19% of new cases, showing that our border closures yielded positive results. These are mostly fellow Nigerians returning through our land borders. We will continue to enforce land border arrival protocols as part of the containment strategy.
“Today, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has accredited 15 laboratories across the country with an aggregate capacity to undertake 2,500 tests per day across the country,” he said.
The president also spoke on the rising cases of Coronavirus in Kano state, saying “I am gravely concerned about the unfortunate developments in Kano in recent days.”
He said although an in-depth investigation was still ongoing, the federal government has decided to deploy additional manpower, material and technical resources to strengthen and support the state government’s efforts with immediate effect.
“In Kano, and indeed many other States that are recording new cases, preliminary findings show that such cases are mostly from interstate travel and emerging community transmission.
“Drawing from these, I implore all Nigerians to continue to adhere strictly to the advisories published by the Presidential Task Force and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
“These include regular hand washing, physical distancing, wearing of face masks/coverings in public, avoidance of non-essential movement and travels and avoidance of large gatherings,” he said.
