Fintiri locks down Adamawa over COVID-19 index case

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has locked down the state for two weeks.

This is the second lockdown the Governor would declare since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

The fresh lockdown, coming two days after the state index case of COVID-19, was confirmed, is clearly to prevent the virus from spreading.

A statement released Friday by Governor Fintiri’s Director-General in charge of Media and Communications, Solomon Kumangar, said, “The Adamawa State Government has imposed a lockdown throughout the state for another period of 14 days with effect from midnight of Friday, April 24, 2020 and to end on Friday midnight of 8 May, 2020.

“Painful as the decision is, it is the aftermath of the first COVID-19 index case recorded in the state through a returnee from Kano.

“The Adamawa State Government is, therefore, left with no option than to go for lockdown in the overall interest of saving lives and to contain the spread.”

According to the statement, the government “has commenced contacts tracing and testing, which will be followed by isolation and treatment of positive cases.”

The statement said movement and gatherings in whatever form are prohibited throughout the period, except for those on essential duty such as security, Media, health and water board personnel, pharmaceuticals and those selling food items, while financial institutions like banks will operate skeletal services.

It said a mobile court would be set up to prosecute offenders.