Kayode Oyero

Kaduna State Government has extended the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic in the state by 30 days.

This was contained in a statement on Sunday signed by Muyiwa Adekeye, media aide to Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The government had imposed its quarantine orders on the state for one month beginning March 26.

According to the statement, the governor’s extension decision followed the recommendation of the State Standing Committee on COVID-19 chaired by the Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe.

It said the increasing record of coronavirus cases in neighbouring cities, especially Abuja, called for stiffer measures to be taken to curb the spread of the pandemic.

The government stated that the lockdown extension is effective Sunday, April 26, 2020, adding that the two-day window during which the restriction of movement was relaxed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays has been reduced to only one day; Wednesdays.

The statement read in part, “All persons that venture out of their homes for whatever reason must wear facemasks and observe social distancing everywhere they go, in markets and in authorised vehicles.

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“All residents of Kaduna State are quarantined and must stay at home. No office, event centre, market, shop or business of any sort or place of worship is allowed to open.

“The only category of persons exempted are workers in essential services such as health workers, the fire service, water corporation, electricity distribution and security personnel. Tankers conveying fuel to petrol stations are also permitted to move.

“Businesses in the food and pharmaceutical value-chain are exempted and shall enjoy the protection accorded to other essential services.

“Schools, places of worship, event centres, sports grounds, bars, restaurants, public parks and all other places where large crowds could gather are to remain closed until further notice.”

The government stressed that no visitor is welcome in the state during the pandemic, adding that mobile courts have been empowered to try violators and impose the prescribed penalties, including fines, imprisonment and forfeiture of vehicles, upon conviction.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control as of Saturday night, 10 of the 1182 coronavirus cases reported in the country were confirmed in Kaduna State.

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