The Federal Capital Territory Administration, Abuja, has closed bars, night clubs, pubs, events and recreational venues for the next five weeks to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
All informal and formal festivity events, including weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, end of year events among others have been restricted to not more than 50 persons.
An emergency meeting today, December 23, chaired by FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello to contain the spread of the second wave of the pandemic ratified the guidelines.
The meeting ratified that all restaurants, except those providing services to hotel residents; takeaways, home deliveries and drive-ins should remain closed.
Also public transportation systems are to carry passengers not more than 50 per cent of their capacity in compliance with social distancing rules while facilities for religious events are restricted to less than 50 per cent of capacity of use during which physical distancing, mandatory use of face masks and hand hygiene are to be strictly enforced.
The meeting resolved that all employees of the FCTA and the six Area Councils of the FCT on GL 12 and below are to work from home for the next five weeks while the heads of the various Secretariats, Departments and Agencies are to be responsible for compliance. All schools in the FCT are to remain on vacation until at least January 18, 2021.
The minister warned that enforcement teams have been mandated to carry out the arrest of violators and prosecute them through the mobile courts system.
The emergency meeting ascribed the surge in coronavirus infections to the lack of compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions by residents especially facial coverings in public, physical distancing and hand hygiene.
The meeting called on the Abuja Market Management Limited and the various market associations to ensure compliance of all the guidelines on facial coverings, hand hygiene and physical distancing.
It said that the administration would not hesitate to close down any market or business premises found in contravention of these guidelines.
The FCT is regarded as one of the epicenters in this second wave.
