Governor Nasir El-Rufai has directed a partial lockdown in Kaduna State, saying that all civil servants from Level 12 and below should remain at home for the next 30 days, effective from Tuesday.
El Rufai in a state broadcast on Monday, directed that from Tuesday, markets should be partially open, saying that, ‘’only traders selling food and medicines are permitted to open their shops.
El-Rufai who said that the directive became necessary to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, pointed out that, his government will not hesitate to enforce a total lockdown of the state of the need arises.
The Governor, however, said that workers providing essential services in the health, security and emergency service sectors are exempted from this directive.
He decried that the government’s directive against large gatherings was flouted, however expressed gratitude to those religious leaders who complied with the directive.
According the him, the government has now decided to move from advice to actual enforcement of its restrictions on large gatherings, especially in churches and mosques.
According to him, ‘’Security agencies have been directed to ensure compliance across the state. These agencies will also enforce compliance with the decision to close all schools, whether public or private, religious or secular, Islamiya or run by Christian missions.
‘’The state government will not hesitate to impose a state wide curfew, should that become the only way to enforce compliance and make everyone understand the collective danger that we face.’’
The Governor said that he will not hesitate to impose a lockdown of the entire state, if events dictate, adding that ‘’this will be done with every effort to take care of the poor and vulnerable.’’
The Governor, however, reiterated that no case of COVID-19 has been reported Kaduna State so far but, “the Government has a duty to work with all our leaders and residents of our state to jointly ensure that everything is done to reduce the chance of the disease taking root and spreading in the state.
El Rufai also urged all citizens who recently returned from travel overseas to please self-isolate for 14 days.
Meanwhile, management of Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, has equally placed restrictions on visit to hospital, saying that, only one person will henceforth be allowed to accompany a patient to the hospital.
The Chief Medical Director of the Teaching Hospital, Professor AbdulKadir Musa Tabari, while briefing reporters, said the hospital’s isolation unit has equipped to receive any suspected case.
Professor Tabari also said that, the hospital staff has been equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) such as sanitizer and face mask among others.
