Breaking: Gov. Okowa Relaxes Lockdown Order, Lifts Ban On Business, Economic Activities

-Permits 50 Persons For Burials, Weddings

-Bans Religious Conferences , To Meet With Pastors, Imams On Worship

By Daniel Dafe

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa during a live broadcast on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, issued new guidelines for businesses to operate, as he partially lifted the lockdown across Delta State directed by his administration in its fight against the Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world.

While commending Deltans for their understanding and cooperation during the 28-day lockdown so far, he said: “As the state begins to ease the lockdown restrictions, the sensible approach is to do it in a gradual, systematic, and orderly manner so that we do not wipe out the gains of the past four weeks.”

He continued: “As we gradually relax the restriction of movement, I must caution that it is not yet uhuru; life as we have known it is still a long way off. We must therefore brace ourselves up to adjust to the new normal in all our personal, official and business dealings going forward.

“It has become necessary to partially lift the ban on movements within the State effective Thursday, 30th April 2020. This is to enable our people engage in economic/business activities between the hours of 6am and 7pm. Security agencies will be on hand to ensure strict compliance with the time frame.”

Furthermore, he said that conferences, sporting activities, gathering of people in convention/event centres, sports fields, public/open spaces, as well as recreational and cultural/communal activities remain banned until 31st May 2020.
According to him, while burials and weddings will be allowed, the social distancing rule must be applied, and the number of guests/persons must not exceed 50.

He added: Our schools (public and private) remain closed until Sunday, 31st May 2020. Entertainment centres, including cinemas, bars and night clubs remain closed until Sunday, 31st May 2020. Restaurants/Canteens/Beer Parlours are to operate on take-away basis while hotels will be allowed to open (with in-room dining) but their restaurants, bars and night clubs remain closed till further notice.”

Speaking further, he said that while transport services (keke, taxis, buses) are allowed to operate, number of passengers shall be 2 persons at the back for keke; one person at the front seat and two persons at the back for a taxi; 10-12 persons for a 16-seater/18-seater bus, saying that the airports in the state remain closed to passenger traffic till further notice.
On religious worship, he said: “I shall be meeting with our religious leaders on Thursday, 30th April 2020 to chart the way forward for our places of worship.” “However, all crusades/conventions remain banned till further notice,” he opined.