Amid the dreaded second wave and rising spread of COVID-19 in the country, the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the governments of Lagos and Ebonyi states have banned some large gatherings in their respective domains.
While Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State banned concerts, carnivals, street parties and nightclubs, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, imposed some restrictions and issued fresh safety protocols in their respective areas.
This, they said, was to curb the rising spread of the virus, which rose to 77,013 on Friday. The number of deaths also rose from 1,201 to 1,212.
Sanwo-Olu, who has contracted the virus and is undergoing treatment, said in a statement on Friday that it was wrong and dangerous for the public to think the worst as regard the virus was over. He also reinstated the 12am to 4am curfew imposed by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on the state.
The governor lamented that credible reports indicated that the entertainment industry was planning large gatherings, concerts, street parties and carnivals, in the spirit of the Yuletide while night clubs have also reopened in reckless disregard for the existing guidelines. He said event centres were also operating with huge gatherings without any regard for public health and safety guidelines.
Osun State Government had also shut all public and private schools across the state.
The latest ban by the two state and the FCT will definitely affect some planned ceremonies slated for the end of the year.
In the statement, titled, ‘We cannot afford to relax the battle against COVID-19’, the governor described as overwhelming the non-compliance of places of worship with the guidelines in both their regular and special gatherings organised to commemorate the season.
The governor added, “All public servants from Grade Level 14 and below, except emergency workers and first responders, are to work from home as from Monday, December 21 for the next 14 days in the first instance.
“All schools must shut down with immediate effect, and until further notice. Concerts, carnivals and street parties are banned in Lagos State until further notice.
“Nightclubs have not been allowed to open yet. All nightclubs in Lagos must immediately shut down, until further notice. The midnight to 4am curfew imposed by the Federal Government remains in place. The protocol of ‘No Mask No Entry’ must be enforced by all public places: offices, businesses, markets, shops and so on.”
He added that all places of worship, including churches and mosques, must ensure that no gathering exceeds two hours, and that no gathering exceeds 50 per cent of the maximum capacity of the venue.
While warning unaccredited private hospitals against treating COVID-19 patients, the governor vowed that private test centres issuing fake results would be prosecuted without hesitation. He pointed out that 10 out of every 100 tests now come out positive, noting that out of the 197,000 tests carried out so far in the state, 26,000 tested positive and 226 died.
