UPDATED :Kano Relaxes Lockdown Over COVID-19

Kano state government has relaxed the lockdown order from Mondays and Thursdays between 10 am to 4 pm each day, with a special call for the public to always maintain and observe COVID-19 protocols as given by health professionals.

The government said the easing of the lockdown order was with the consent of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Governor  Abdullahi Umar Ganduje announced this during a media briefing of State Task Force on COVID-19, held at Africa House, Government, Kano, in the presence of the Task Force Chairman, the Deputy Governor, Alhaji  Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and other top government personalities.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Abba Anwar and sent to Solacebase on Saturday.

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It said the briefing immediately followed a meeting between the governor and chairmen of the metropolitan local governments of the state, in the presence of the State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, Commissioner for local governments, Murtala Sule Garo, Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, (ALGON), Kano state branch, Lamin Sani, who is also the chairman of Nassarawa local government.

‘’ I am hereby making an announcement that each Monday in the lockdown period between 10 am to 4 pm people are allowed to come out and make some purchases. So also on Thursdays between 10 am to 4 pm people are allowed to be out within these stipulated time,” says Governor Ganduje.

He urged that “…people must observe all protocols as given by our health professionals. We should all know that there is no short cut in the fight against COVID-19 all over the world. So we must always abide by all the protocols.”

According to the statement, Ganduje explained that within the time for the relaxation of the lockdown order, all markets must remain closed, with the exception of Yankaba market, where perishable items are sold and Yan Lemo market, where fruits are sold.

He reveals that “As we are targeting more Testing Centres in the state, the richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote is donating Mobile Testing Centre with the capacity of testing 400 people daily. The facility is coming to Kano in the next two days, by Monday.”

Rising cases of positive COVID-19 patients, the governor said, “…is a thing of great concern. Though we are aware that with the reopening of the Aminu Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Testing Centre with the capacity of 88 samples per day, and the coming up of another Testing Centre at Bayero University, Kano, with the capacity of 20 samples per day, would mean another rise in the identified positive cases.”