Lockdown: Ogun to open markets every 48 hours

The Ogun Government says it would only open markets every two days during the lockdown.

Governor Dapo Abiodun made this known while addressing journalists on Friday night at his residence in Iperu Remo, Ogun State.

The governor also declared that all markets in the state would only open between 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday as the lockdown started on Friday night.

He noted that the total lockdown of the state for the first three days was to allow for complete fumigation of the state to disinfect public places such as motor parks and markets.

“The lockdown will be total from now till 7.00 a.m. on Tuesday, to be suspended between 7.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. to allow for essential business activities.

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“This 7.00 a.m. to 2.00.p.m. window will be observed every other day therefrom; that is, Tuesday instant, Thursday, and Saturday for the coming week,” he said.

Ogun State, alongside Lagos and the FCT, had been identified for a lockdown by President Muhammadu Buhari, last Sunday, to enable the government curb the spread of the coronavirus. While the lockdown came into force in Lagos and the FCT on Monday night, Governor Abiodun requested for more time to enable residents stock up on food and other essential items.

The state government also announced it would distribute stimulus packages to residents on Saturday to cushion the economic effects of the lockdown. The governor noted that at least 500,000 households would benefit from the initiative.

Mr Abiodun explained that the packages, which comprised of 5kg each of rice, beans and garri with tomato pastes, vegetable oil, salt, seasoning cubes and other hygiene products would be distributed to the “poor and the vulnerable in the state’’.

The governor, however, warned that under no circumstance should the items be diverted to other use other than what they were meant for.

He appealed to the people to avoid stampede and unnecessary struggles during the distribution, saying it would be an ongoing process.

“We have constituted a multi-sectoral local government task force to monitor the daily report and distribution of the stimulus packages from state government to all the 236 wards of the state,” Mr Abiodun said.

The governor further said the state government would begin to enforce the compulsory wearing of face mask as from Tuesday morning of April 7, till the expiration of the lockdown.

He also announced that the third case of COVID-19 who tested positive 10 days ago, was discharged on Friday evening, having shown considerable improvement in his health condition.

(NAN)