Anambra Assembly passes COVID-19 bill

The Anambra State House of Assembly Friday passed a bill to enforce measures initiated to prevent the spread of coronavirus and other dangerous infectious diseases in the state.

The Assembly passed the bill during an emergency plenary on Friday, with strict observation of social distancing in their sitting arrangement.

The Assembly had on March 25 adjourned plenary indefinitely to avoid the spread of coronavirus in the state.

The lawmakers took turns to perfect some corrections in the clauses of the bill before it was finally passed by the House.

The Speaker of the House, Mr. Uche Okafor, conducted a voice vote on each of the sections of the bill before the passage.

Okafor said: “Having considered the clauses of ‘The COVID-19 and Other Dangerous Infectious Diseases, Prevention and Eradication Bill 2020, the bill is hereby passed.’’

He later directed the Clerk of the House, Mr. Pius Udo, to forward a clean copy of the bill to Governor Willie Obiano for his assent.

Earlier, the Majority Leader of the House, Dr. Nnamdi Okafor, said the bill sustained all the directives already provided by the state government to combat the spread of the disease.

Okafor said the directives such as the closure of state boundaries, restriction of movements, temporary lockdown, restriction on public gatherings, social distancing as well as personal hygiene and safety health measures among others were contained in the bill.

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According to the bill, the Chief Judge is empowered to designate Magistrates’ Courts or High Courts in the three Senatorial Districts of the state, as he may think appropriate, for the hearing and determination of all matters on violation of relevant provisions of the law.

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