• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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FG lifts interstate travel ban, reopens schools

Interstate travel

The Federal Government has lifted the ban on movement across state borders effective from July 1, according to new protocols for tackling coronavirus issued on Monday by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19. But the interstate movement has to be only outside the curfew hours of 10pm-4am, the PTF said.

The government also said schools could reopen to allow graduating students to resume classes in preparation for their examinations, and also announced “safe reopening of domestic aviation services as soon as practicable”.

It reemphasised that schools, including primary and secondary, would remain closed except for the final year class, adding that Nigerians are still endangered by the ravaging pandemic.

Under the new guidelines, the government said it would maintain the current phase of the national response for another four weeks with some modifications.

“The current curfew will remain and we will maintain restrictions on mass gathering and sporting activities. Domestic aviation activities will commence as soon as practicable, while movement across state boundaries will be allowed but only outside curfew hours. Students in graduating classes, Primary Six, JSS 3 and SS 3, will be allowed to resume in preparations for examinations,” Sani Aliyu, national coordinator of the PTF, said at the daily briefing on Monday.
“Federal and state government offices will maintain their current timing with only essential staff allowed at the same level of grade level 14 and above to resume work,” he said.

Aliyu said the use of facemasks remains mandatory and that “we will be enforcing this at all levels including linking up with state governments”.

“Access to government and commercial premises will be not allowed if you are not wearing a facemask. In other words, no masks, no entry; no services will be provided at government premises and commercial premises for you without facemasks,” he said. “For the aviation industry, the aviation is allowed to resume domestic operation as soon as practicable in line with the existing international and local guidelines.”

For interstate travel, Aliyu said movement across boundaries would be allowed only outside the curfew time effective from July 1.

“We expect the transport industry to adhere to the Federal Ministry of Transportation safety protocols and guidelines that will be released specifically in relation to parks and terminals,” he said.

He, however, said commissioners of transport in states should undertake a tour of facilities and inform as a precondition for the resumption of interstate travels, adding that noncompliance with the guidelines would result in the withdrawal of licence for interstate mass transit.

“The PTF expects a strict compliance with the directives at the state level,” he said. “For intra-state level, we will maintain the occupancy for buses for 50 percent and two persons for taxis but we will restrict movements in high burden local government areas to essential travels only. This will be part of the strategy that will be introduced.”

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“For industry and labour, we maintain the normal working hours based on the curfew hours and create working hours schedule. But offices will maintain 75 percent of working hours. Banks and financial institutions will operate normal working hours with no change. For government offices, no specific change; working hours remain 9am to 2pm from grade level 14 and above,” Aliyu said.

He said for personalised services, mechanics, artisans, hair salons and others who own their workshops and could clearly adhere to non-pharmaceutical guidelines would be permitted to operate.

“For markets, no specific change to what we have in phase two,” he said.

The PTF said it would enforce laws around non-pharmaceutical interventions by states, particularly the use of facemasks in public places. It said it would strengthen publication of revised guidelines around the three thematic areas of general movement, industry and labour, and community activities.

Government also said it would provide technical support for states to mobilise additional resources for the response, as well as strengthening partnerships with states, local governments, traditional rulers, community/religious leaders and civil society to ensure increased public awareness and compliance with preventive guidelines.

While noting that Nigeria was not yet back to normal as it was yet to flatten the coronavirus curve, the government said it would encourage state governments to empower local government authorities to intensify contact tracing efforts and ensure stronger grassroots mobilisation to support the response, encourage states and hospital authorities to ensure continuity of other health services to prevent fatalities from other life-threatening conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and
deepen collaboration with other mandate groups at states/federal levels to harmonise the country’s COVID-19 response in the short, medium and long terms.

At the daily briefing of the PTF on Monday, Boss Mustapha, its chairman, warned that infections might increase to 45,000 in Nigeria by the end of July, urging citizens not to neglect the guidelines.

Mustapha said the PTF submitted its 5th Interim Report to President Muhammadu Buhari for his consideration, where it reviewed issues around the general level of compliance with prescribed measures.

He said the review showed lack of general compliance with measures, amongst other issues which guided the new measures.

“In doing the foregoing, the PTF considered the need for the continuation of the policy of striking the delicate balance between lives and livelihood as well as inputs received from different stakeholder groups,” he said.