Akwa Ibom govt extends COVID-19 lockdown

The Akwa Ibom State government on Thursday extended the lockdown imposed on the state till April 27 as part of measures to halt the spread of coronavirus in the state.

The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, disclosed this at a press briefing in Uyo.

Governor Udom Emmanuel had on April 2 ordered a total lockdown of the state for an initial period of 14 days.

He later extended it by seven days on April 16.

Ekuwem, who is also the Chairman of the state COVID-19 Management Committee, said the decision to extend the lockdown was painful but necessary to curtail the spread of the virus.

He said that the coronavirus had affected all facets of life in the world.

The SSG said: “The pandemic has altered the programmes of various academic institutions around the world. This has necessitated the development of new initiatives to ensure that not much is lost by pupils and students.

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“On our part as a government, we have also initiated a novel idea, school on radio, to help our students prepare for their final examinations in the junior and senior secondary schools.

“In view of the critical situation that we are in as a nation and as a state, it will become a disadvantage to relax the lockdown at this juncture.

“But given that we must ensure the continuous safety of our citizens, the most ideal thing for now is to continue with the lockdown until Monday, April 27, 2020, thereafter evaluate the lockdown.”

He noted that the pandemic has also adversely affected various facets of the global economy.

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