After 75 days of the partial lockdown of Kaduna State, following the invocation of the Quarantine Act, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has opened up the state for certain activities.
The governor, in a state broadcast on Tuesday, appreciated residents of the state for their sacrifices in the last two and a half months as the state aimed to contain the spread of COVID-19.
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The Quarantine Order, according to the governor, would be amended to permit significant reopening of the state, especially businesses and places of worships as from Wednesday.
El-Rufai said that schools and markets would, however, remain closed, because it was still considered unsafe for such places to reopen at this stage of the containment.
He said:
Businesses can reopen, subject to the provision of thermometers for temperature checks, sanitizers or handwashing equipment and physical distancing measures within all facilities. Working hours will be between 9 am and 3 p.m. daily.
According to him, church services are allowed only on Sundays and mosques are allowed to conduct only Friday Jumat services, for the time being, subject to compliance with the safety stipulations.
El Rufai maintained that transport operators must reduce capacity to not more than two passengers per row and not more than 50 per cent of capacity.
The governor said that the ban on intra-state travel has been lifted but government officials would continue to control state boundaries to reduce unauthorised interstate travel.
He said:
Within the state, security checkpoints will be allowed only to enforce compliance with the night curfew.
During the day, any violations of the adjusted Quarantine Order like failure to wear facemasks will be enforced by Operation Yaki, KASTLEA, the Vigilance Service and Mobile Courts.
Supermarkets and personal services providers such as hairdressing and barbing salons can reopen; hotels can fully open, but with their restaurants and bars offering only room service.
The governor warned that restaurants may all reopen after decontamination but still restricted to takeaway services.
On office, he said that public servants would be summoned back to work in phases to be announced by the Head of Service.
