*Chairman Presidential Task Force of COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha during one of the COVID-19 media briefings in Abuja
The President of the Federal republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari today extended the measures approved on the gradual easing of the lockdown by another two weeks, effective from the midnight of today Monday May 18 to June 1, 2020.
Mr. Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the State Government and Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, announced the extension on Monday at the regular COVID-19 Media Briefing in Abuja. Based on the development, the imposed nationwide curfew from 8:00p.m. to 6:00a.m. shall remain in place. Also, schools, places of worship and business centres will remain close. The ban on inter-state travel will also be in place for the next weeks.
Mustapha also announced that the existing lockdown order in Kano State for an additional two weeks, will remain in place in addition to the compulsory use of face masks in the public. The presidential decision may not be unconnected with the fact that the number of infections have remained on the increase since the lockdown was relaxed. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) attributes the rise in the number of infections on the fact that COVID-19 has shifted to community spreading level in Nigeria.
