Edo State Government, Sunday, imposed a 10-day dusk to dawn curfew in the state with effect from Monday, April 20, 2020
The state governor, Godwin Obaseki, made the announcement in his official Twitter handle.
Obaseki said the curfew will be reviewed after the 10 days when government must have increased screening and testing of citizens for the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the decision was to ensure strict compliance with measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
Recall that the state has recorded 15 confirmed positive cases of the virus, six discharged, one death and eight active.
“Dear Edo people, to ensure strict compliance with measures to curb the spread of #COVID-19, I have given an order prohibiting movement of people in Edo state from 7 pm to 6 am.
“This order will be reviewed after 10 days when we have increased screening and testing”, the governor said.
He explained that the state government’s decision to impose a partial lockdown was to ensure that the economy of the state was not totally shutdown as well as not to
expose the people to the hardships and fatal incidents that have been witnessed in other states that opted for a total lockdown.
The governor, however, mandated security agencies to enforce total compliance by ensuring that movement is restricted at night across the state.
He also directed that all drivers and passengers of all vehicles bringing essential workers and commodities into the state will be screened by health professionals.
He craved the indulgence of citizens to cooperative with the security and health professionals so as to ensure that the process is without much hitches.
He, therefore, reiterated that the ban on street trading, which was announced by the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, was in the best interest of state.
The governor’s action came after a letter from the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare ll, advising the state government to lockdown the state by stopping inbound and outbound movements to the state.
The letter dated April 16, 2020 and addressed to the state governor also urged the government to stop movement in and out of the state, enforce strictly the ‘stay-at-home’ order as well as the observance of social distancing practices coupled with other health and safety protocols advised by health experts at domestic and International levels.
The Oba who said the call become necessary, expressed worry with the increase in the number of infected persons in the state.
He emphasised that the call to lockdown the state was critical in the efforts to prevent the spread of the virus as well as to forestall incidences of infections in the rural areas, where access to medical care are virtually nonexistent.
“Your Excellency, we respectfully wish to invite your attention to the incidence of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic and the attendant risk of its continued spread among the people of Edo State.
“You may wish to recall the stakeholders meeting convened by Your Excellency with traditional rulers at the onset of the outbreak of the virus wherein I advised that the state government should take very seriously the issue of containment to mitigate its contraction and spread among citizens and residents of the state.
“However, we have observed with serious concern the rising number of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in the state which as at the date of this letter has reached 15 persons with one death recorded,” he stated.
He however, opined that the state government could mitigate the health and economic impact of steps taken by making available facemasks and hand sanitizers to citizens and residents as preventive and precautionary measures.
Government should also provide necessary support in the form of palliatives, especially for the poor, the vulnerable and less privileged ones as a way of cushioning the expected effects of the socio-economic disruptions envisaged.
