Coronavirus: All the restrictions that will come into effect in Nigeria today
Nigeria is currently one of the countries in Africa with an increasing number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus. The country which only had two confirmed cases of the virus at the beginning of last week recorded a total number of 30 cases by the end of the week.
With the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the federal and some state governments announced measures to curb the spread of the virus. While some of the restrictions were immediate, like shutting down the NYSC orientation camps, banning religious gatherings with more than 50 persons, others were meant to come into effect today, March 23, 2020.
Here are places and activities you may not be allowed to visit or partake in from today.
School shutdown
Schools were among the first places to shut down after COVID-19 became a serious public health concern in Nigeria. Although states like Lagos, Ogun, and Kwara were the firsts to take the lead, the Federal Ministry of Education eventually ordered the shutdown of both public and privates schools across the country. The directive which became active today also includes tertiary institutions.
Suspension of all international flights
After experiencing an influx of imported cases of Coronavirus in the country, the government decided to shut down all international flights to reverse the trend. Three international airports in Port Harcourt, Enugu, and Kano were initially suspended. But after further assessment, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA extended the ban to include all the five international airports in Nigeria. Beginning from today, March 23, only emergency and essential flights are allowed throughout the country.
Passenger rail services ban
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) announced on Saturday that it was suspending all passenger railway services in the country to guard against the spread of Coronavirus. The nationwide suspension came into effect today.
Closure of nightclubs and bars in Lagos
As from today, March 23 all nightclubs, bars and other social gatherings in Lagos will cease operation to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. The Ogun state government also took similar measures by banning large gatherings including cinemas and sports arenas for 30 days.
Other activities and spaces that draw large crowds across the country are under view as the government ramps up efforts to end the spread of Coronavirus in Nigeria. Lagos, which is the most affected state has ordered that markets and public transport operators observe social distancing to minimize the risk of spreading the virus.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC mandates all Nigerians to practice personal hygiene and social distancing to forestall the spread. Those who experience strange symptoms have been advised to reach out to the centre through its toll-free line, 080097000010.
