Amidst the Corona Virus scare, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has directed all civil servants from level 1-12 to stay at home except those on essential services.
In a statewide broadcast to Nigerlites, the Governor also announced an indefinite daily curfew from 8:00am to 8:00pm beginning March 25th, 2020, while banning all forms of street begging and hawking in the state.
Governor Sani Bello enjoined Traditional Rulers to ensure that all Almajiri Schools in their communities are also closed down.
He strongly advised all public offices including Ministries, Departments and Agencies to provide hand washing items at the entrance of their facilities and the general public be vigilant and adhere strictly to personal hygiene social distancing and seek medical attention in the event of symptoms.
The Governor disclosed that, as a proactive measure, government has strengthen the surveillance system to detect any case of corona virus disease (Covid-19), including investigation and monitoring of any outbreak.
“We have reactivated our Isolation Centers and rooms in all our General Hospitals across the state and have also prepositioned drugs, medical supplies, personal protection equipment at the Isolation Center”, he added.
Governor Sani Bello said government is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on how to prevent infection and mitigate, in case of an outbreak in the state.
While asking people to adhere strictly to public health guidelines, the Governor called on individuals with travel history from countries and states with cases of Corona virus disease (Covid-19) to ensure self isolation and report to the nearest health facility in the state.