Journalists, health workers, first responders and other essential workers are granted permission to move within the state as long as they are able to properly identify themselves during the state-wide dusk-to-dawn curfew, which commenced on Monday, April 20, 2020, Edo State Government clarified on Tuesday.
In a statement, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the state government imposed the curfew as an additional measure to restrict movement at night to address the observed non-compliance with the social distancing and stay-at-home directives.
He said that the ten-day period for which the curfew is expected to last will present the state government ample time to study the trend and observe data on how the virus was spreading from figures to be pulled from screening and testing across the disease endemic areas.
“We observed that even though a lot was done to ensure that people complied with the directives during the day, it was observed that the night life was still active, among other data points tracked. This, amongst other considerations, informed the need for the curfew.”
On those to be granted special considerations, he said, “The curfew subsists from 7pm to 6am, but some persons on essential duty are to be granted permission to move during these times. They include health workers, journalists, firemen and other first responders. These persons are to be allowed passage after they present valid means of identification.”
Osagie enjoined Edo people to continue to adhere to the hygiene and safety precautions, including regular handwashing with soap under running water or use of alcohol-based sanitizers; observing social distancing guidelines, avoiding public gathering of more than 20 persons, and staying at home.
