Nigeria nears lockdown as COVID-19 spreads

Nigeria on Monday inched closer to total shutdown as more states adopted stricter measures to combat the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

Many states on Monday joined Lagos and Kwara states in sending Civil Servants on compulsory holidays to reduce social contacts and prevent the escalation of cases.

The number of cases rose to 40 on Monday night. The first death from the virus was also announced of a 67-year-old in Abuja, who recently returned home after undergoing treatment in the United Kingdom.

The Federal Government closed the land borders for four weeks.

It suspended the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the highest decision making organ of the Executive, “until further notice”.

A meeting of the Council of State slated for Thursday was put off. Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha who announced the measures, added that

“All Abuja and Lagos residents are strongly advised to stay at home,  avoid mass congregation of any kind as well as non-essential outings,  until  further advice is given”.

He also reiterated some advisories that had earlier been passed on to the public, urging particularly that the public should be responsible by obeying the advisories and disclose cases discovered to appropriate quarters.

“The strategy of government is to focus on testing, detection and containment through contact tracking in order to minimize hugely, the possibility of community spread.

“We urge anyone experiencing the symptoms of the virus or has been in contact with anyone who has been suspected or tested positive to please report at the nearest medical facility or the designated center.

“The Presidential Task Force (PTF) continues to monitor the global and domestic developments and has isolated Lagos and Abuja for particular attention in view of their population, mobility and number of cases already reported.

Mustapha said the new measures were approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, on the recommendation of the task force.

Federal civil servants on grade level 12 and below were on Monday told to stay at home as the Federal Government introduced new measures to curtail Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) spread.

In a statement by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF) Dr. Folashad Esan, the Federal Government urged Nigerians to strictly follow the directive.

The statement reads: “Government is concerned about the welfare and safety of all public servants just as it is about other Nigerians.

“All public servants are, therefore, strongly advised to follow the measures being put in place by government to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

As a further step to check the spread of COVID-19, all non-essential pubiic servants on grade level  12 and below are to stay and work from home with effect from Tuesday, 24th March, 2020 until further notice.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) will tomorrow shut down all its trading floors under a 30-day emergency response plan to the continuing spread of Covid-19. Stockbrokers will however continue to trade using their remote platforms. During the 30-day remote working plan, NSE staff will work through various digital platforms.

The Exchange also yesterday granted a 60-day grace period for all companies to submit their audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2019. Under the extant rules, these companies are required to submit their results not later than March 30. The 60-day grace period extends the deadline to May 29.

The State Government of Osun has sent its junior and middle-level civil servants to proceed on a two-week leave, starting from today, as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prince Wole Oyebamiji, in a statement, said Governor Adegboyega Oyetola granted the leave for the workers as part of precautionary measures to forestall any possible outbreak of coronavirus in the State.

Oyetola said workers on essential services such as health, environmental sanitation, fire service, among others are not affected by the directive.

“All Officers on essential services in Health and Medical facilities, Environmental Sanitation, Fire Services, Water Corporation, and all other essential services, are to be reporting for duty as usual”, the statement noted. Osun has no case of the virus yet.