Nigeria

PTF extends gradual ease of lockdown by two weeks

Monday, May 18, 2020 at 10:59 PM by Aanu Adegun

- The easing of nationwide lockdown imposed by President Buhari has been extended for another two weeks

- President Buhari is said to have made the decision based on the recommendations of the PTF

- According to PTF, there will be a review of the lockdown in the next two weeks

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The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has extended the gradual easing of the lockdown by two weeks across the nation.

This was disclosed by the PTF chairman and secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha.

He announced this on Monday, May 18, during the daily briefing of the task force in Abuja.

According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari took the decision based on the recommendations of the PTF.

He added that the guidelines issued for relaxing the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the federal capital territory (FCT) will be maintained for the next two weeks.

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After this, there will be another review.

Going further, he listed six steps approved by Buhari as follows:

“The measures, exemptions, advisories and scope of entities allowed to reopen under phase one of the eased locked down, shall be maintained across the federation for another two weeks effective from 12 00 midnight today (18th May, 2020 to 1st June, 2020).

“Intensifying efforts to “tell (communicate), trace (identify) and treat (manage)’ cases;

“Elevating the level of community ownership of non-pharmaceuticl interventions;

“Maintain the existing lockdown order in Kano for an additional two weeks;

“Imposition of precision lockdown in states, or in metropolitan/high-burden LGAs, that are reporting a rapidly increasing number of cases, when the need arises. This would be complemented with the provision of palliatives and continued re-evaluation of the impact of the interventions; and

“Aggressive scale up of efforts to ensure that communities are informed, engaged and participating in the response with enhanced public awareness in high risk states.”

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Health minister speaks on Buhari lifting COVID-19 lockdown

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, stated that contrary to the widely-published reports, there is no plan Buhari will address the country Monday, May 18.

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Buhari would address Nigerians in a nation-wide broadcast concerning the easing of the lockdown caused by the coronavirus crisis.

The national coordinator of the PTF on Covid-19, Aliyu Sani, who made the disclosure, said that Buhari would decide whether the country would embark on a second phase of the easing of the lockdown.

But Adesina in a tweet on Monday stressed that "none was planned" as being speculated.

The media aide, however, said the next moves on the novel coronavirus pandemic will be conveyed to Nigerians during the usual Presidential Task Force briefing on Covid-19.

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