Governors ban inter-state travel for two weeks over COVID-19

The Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF) has unanimously agreed to ban movement between states for two weeks as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The decision was arrived at during the governors’ sixth teleconference meeting on Wednesday.

In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, Chairman of the NGF and Governor of Ekiti Sate, Kayode Fayemi, explained that the move has become imperative against the backdrop of the rising inter-communal transmission of the novel disease.

The communique read: “Following an update from the NGF Secretariat on the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, members expressed serious concern over the rising spread of the virus among health workers.

“The governors resolved to work with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to ensure that health workers are adequately provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) and are constantly trained on the use of protective gears.

“In order to strengthen coordinated implementation of necessary public health recommendations across states, Governors resolved to set up COVID-19 Committees at the regional level, headed by their State Commissioners of Health.

“Regional Committees will continue to interface with the State Task Force Committees on COVID-19 already established in each state.

“The Forum also received briefing from the Governors of Lagos, Bauchi, Oyo and Ogun states who shared their experiences and lessons from the fight against COVID-19.

“Governors unanimously agreed to the implementation of an inter-state lockdown in the country over the next two weeks to mitigate spread of the virus from State to State. Only essential services will be permitted.”

The development comes about the same time the federal government has announced ban on the inter-state movement of COVID-19 patients across the country.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, who disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday said: “some of the resolutions unanimously adopted are that all persons diagnosed with COVID-19 will be, henceforth, preferably, treated in the state where the diagnosis was made, rather than to be referred to another state or to their states of origin, except there is a medical indication for it. This is to avoid the high risk of exposure of other persons in the course of transfer.”