Breaking: Lockdown extended 30 days, effective April 26

Kaduna remains on lockdown for the next 30 days, beginning from April 26..

Muyiwa Adekeye, media aide to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, made this known in a press release on Sunday.

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.

“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,” the statement read..

“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.”

Mobile courts have been empowered to try violators and impose the prescribed penalties, including fines, imprisonment and forfeiture of vehicles, upon conviction.

The two-day window when the restriction of movement was relaxed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays has been reduced to only one day— Wednesdays.

The Nigeria Governors Forum wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari to ease the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja,to allow economic activity resume, and to ban inter-state movement.

Kaduna might just be declaring it has no part in the joint decision.