Tony Osauzo, Benin and Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has announced a dusk-to-dawn curfew effective from today, prohibiting the movement of people throughout the state from 7pm to 6am, as part of measures to halt the spread of coronavirus.
Obaseki, who disclosed this in a broadcast, said the order will be reviewed after 10 days, when increased screening and testing of citizens in the state must have been achieved.
The curfew, according to the governor, is part of additional measures to ensure people stay-at-home and prevent further spread of the disease.
“We realise we need to do more social distancing at this time. Therefore, we are taking additional measures to ensure people stay-at-home. Consequently, with effect from today, the state has gave an order prohibiting movement of people in Edo State from 7pm to 6am. This order will be reviewed after 10 days when we have increased our screening and testing of our citizens. The security agencies, by this directive, are mandated to enforce total compliance by ensuring movement is restricted at night across the state,” he said.
Governor Obaseki, noting that the testing centre at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) is ready to commence operation, said Edo State will soon begin testing for 1,000 residents daily.
The governor said healthcare workers handling the COVID-19 response have been provided with life insurance and special allowances, as motivation to work on the front lines in the fight against the pandemic.
Meanwhile, barely 24 hours after Bayelsa Governor, Douye Diri, warned Bayelsans against defying the directives of social gathering; he has imposed a curfew in the state to enforce social distancing.
A statement from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Orientation, Freston Akpor, said the curfew begins from yesterday.
The state, which is currently on partial lockdown, has allowed activities to go unhindered but there have been several cases of breach, especially by fun seekers in the night.
Diri had, through his acting Chief Press Secretary, Dan Alabrah, explained that the order restricting gathering at worship centres, which was restored after the Easter celebrations, was in force and that no form of gathering is permitted no matter the number of persons.
“The total lockdown on any form of gathering, including worship centres, is in force. No kind of gathering even in churches is permitted after the Easter celebrations. The order is that worship services, no matter the number of persons, are prohibited for now. People should meet in their homes and not in worship centres,” he said.