Governor Udom Emmanuel has signed comprehensive regulations to back the restriction of movement and lockdown of Akwa Ibom state with effect from Monday 30 March 2020.
Known as quarantine and restriction of movement regulation 2020, it covers all the 31 local government areas of the state according to the governor, it draws the powers from sections 4 and 8of the Quarantine Act, Cap. Q2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and section 1 (1) of the Akwa Ibom State infectious disease (control of spread) law, 2014.
The law declared coronavirus as a dangerous infectious disease thus constituting a serious and imminent threat to the public health of the people and restricts the movement of persons and vehicles stating that commercial tricycles shall carry not more than two passengers only while minibusses shall carry not more than one passenger per row and a private vehicle shall carry not more than two persons at the back seat and one on the front seat.
According to a statement by Charles Udoh, commissioner for information and made available to the media, all public parks, shops, eateries, clubs, restaurants, markets, and offices within the State shall remain closed except for the sale of foodstuffs, drugs, and other essential commodities while all public burials, public weddings, and other forms of public gatherings are for the time being hereby prohibited.
In addition, all places of religious worship, churches, and mosques shall strictly observe the social distancing prescription of a minimum of one-meter spacing and not more than twenty persons per gathering adding that handwashing facility with running water, soap and sanitizer shall be made available.
While the regulations close all borders and roads leading into and out of the State “shall remain closed with immediate effect, all interstate transportation and movement on land, air, water are hereby prohibited, security personnel, fire service personnel, medical health workers and other personnel on essential duties and food supplies are hereby exempted.”
According to the regulations, any person who knows or has reason to believe that he has symptoms of, or is suffering from the Coronavirus disease shall not expose other persons to risk of infection by his presence or conduct in any public place or any other place adding that “any person who knows or has reason to believe that he has symptoms of, or is suffering from the Corona Virus disease shall submit himself for quarantine and treatment.”
It states that “where a person refuses to submit himself for treatment and quarantine, security and medical personnel may use such force as may be reasonably necessary and employ such method as may be sufficient to ensure compliance with these regulations.”
Under the provisions of the regulations, where a person has been identified, a medical officer may order all person all persons who came in contact with the Identified person to be isolated in any of the isolation centres within the State and any person authorised by the medical officer to carry out such order may use such force as may be reasonably necessary and employ such method as may be sufficient to ensure compliance with this Regulations while “nothing that is reasonably done by an authorized officer for purpose of executing these Regulations shall subject the authorized Officer personally to any action, liability, claim or demand whatsoever.”
The regulations which stipulate various penalties including prosecution, impounding of vehicles and suspension of the offenders driving licence for a specific length is for an initial period of one month but did not spell out a prison term of fine for offenders.
