Sanwo-Olu Shuts Down Schools, Street Carnival Indefinitely, Directs Civil Servants To Work Remotely

 

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has directed that all government and private schools in the state be shut down until further notice.

This forms part of the public health directives issued by the governor on Friday, as the state government prepares for a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

He also directed all public servants from Grade Level 14 and below, except emergency workers and first responders, to work from home for the next 14 days starting from Monday next week – in the first instance.

The governor, who tested positive for COVID-19 recently and said he was getting better by the day, stressed that concerts, carnivals and street parties were banned in Lagos until further notice.

According to him, night clubs have not been allowed to open yet and all night clubs in the state should be shut down indefinitely with immediate effect.

Governor Sanwo-Olu stated that the 12am to 4am curfew imposed by the Federal Government remained in place, and the protocol of ‘No Mask No Entry’ must be enforced by all public places such as offices, businesses, markets, and shops, among others.

He asked churches, mosques, and other places of worship to ensure all gatherings must not exceed two hours with 50 per cent of the maximum capacity of the venue.

Governor Sanwo-Olu directed that guests and service providers with high temperature (above 37.5 degrees) should be politely turned back and referred to paramedics or the emergency response team.

He stated that health, safety and environment officers must be present at all public gatherings – whether religious or social – and should be trained in basic first aid procedures.

Read the full statement issued by the governor below:

We Cannot Afford To Relax The Battle Against COVID-19

Dear Lagosians,

Compliments of the Season.

Regarding my health, I am glad to inform you that I am getting better by the day, and all will surely be well. I thank Lagosians for their prayers and overwhelming kind thoughts. I am, indeed, very grateful.

I have just risen from a virtual Executive Council meeting on issues around the resurgence of COVID-19 and how we should tackle this serious matter.

The Lagos State Government has sadly noticed that there is an unfortunate public perception that we have seen the end of the COVID-19 pandemic; that the worst is over. This is absolutely wrong and dangerous.

We are getting credible reports that the entertainment industry is planning large gatherings, concerts, street parties and carnivals, in the spirit of the Yuletide. Night Clubs have also re-opened in reckless disregard of the existing guidelines, and Events Centers are operating with huge gatherings without any regard for public health and safety guidelines.

This same disregard for Coronavirus guidelines is also being observed with Places of Worship across the State, in both their regular gatherings and the special gatherings organized to commemorate this Season.

Dear Lagosians, this overwhelming non-compliance with guidelines meant to keep us all safe is very disheartening, especially when we consider that the message at the heart of Christmas is one of sacrifice and sacrificial conduct; embodied by the Holy Bible in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Christmas is a commemoration of this supreme act of sacrifice by God. The least we can do in this Season is to emulate that spirit of sacrifice, by abiding with difficult but necessary protective guidelines, for the greater good of all of us. This is certainly not the time to lower our guard against the Coronavirus; it is instead time to step up our battle against this stubborn virus that has gripped the world for several months now.

A Second Wave

As you are all aware, Lagos State