COVID-19: SANWO-OLU SHUTS DOWN MARKET, REDUCES SOCIAL, RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS TO 25 PERSONS

L-R: Brigade Commander, 9 brigade, Ikeja Army Cantonment, Brigadier General Etsu Ndagi; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso; Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Apapa, Commodore Ibrahim Aliyu and Commander, 651 Base Services Group, Nigerian Air Force Base, Ikeja, Air Commodore Razak Olanrewaju during a media briefing after the State Security Council meeting, at Lagos House, Marina, on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

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Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, took more restrictive measures to break the cycle of transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the State. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu directed all markets and stores trading in non-essential commodities to close for seven days.

The directive takes effect from Thursday, March 26.

Also, the Governor reduced the number of people that must participate in a public gathering at any given time from 50 to 25.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that he had instructed the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, to close all High and Magistrate courts across the State from Thursday to support the efforts being made to stop the epidemic.

Other public places shut by the Government include parks, playgrounds and recreational centres within the State, regardless of ownership.

In a televised briefing after State’s Security Council meeting held at the State House in Marina, Sawno-Olu said the restrictive measures were necessary, given the rise in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Lagos. He said the directive should not be seen a lockdown on business activities in the State.

The directives, the Governor said, did not affect pharmacy shops and all markets where food stuffs are traded. Eateries and restaurants must not accept eat-in customers; they are to serve food in take-away packages, the Governor said.

Sanwo-Olu said the Government would be opening markets in schools across the State where food items could be purchased in the restrictive period to prevent panic buying. He said the guidelines would be reviewed after it lapses for next line of action.

The Governor said the State had been proactive and prompt in tracking, isolating and managing the suspected cases, adding that the conditions of all confirmed cases were stable at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Yaba.

He said: “Today, we are taking further measures and giving new directives and guidelines to stop the spread of coronavirus in our State. All open markets and stores are directed to close for seven days, except for sellers of food and medicines, medical equipment and other essential life-saving products. For those that fall into the aforementioned categories, it is imperative that they observe necessary precautionary measures of social distancing.