Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has relaxed the presidential lockdown in Kano despite Coronavirus spike in the ancient City.
The governor announced a 12-hour free period per week lockdown, saying that all the major markets would remain closed except some selected supermarkets.
He said only Yankaba Market where perishable items were sold, and Yan Lemo Market, where fruits were sold, would be allowed to operate for 12 hours on Mondays and Thursdays between 10am to 4pm.
The governor warned that attendants of the markets would strictly observe the COVID-19 protocols, emphasising that the use of face-mask would be absolutely necessary in the markets.
Ganduje warned traders to desist from hiking the prices of their commodities because of COVID-19, revealing the State Government had drafted anti-corruption agencies to monitor, arrest and prosecute traders who did so.
“From the reports we have seen, no doubt that there is mass increase of COVID-19 cases in Kano. This is an issue that people should be conscious of so that we can take the protocols very seriously,” he said.
He added that with the help of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Test Centre at AKTH had become operational, saying “although we are still taking samples to Abuja because of the low capacity of the NCDC Test Centre.”
According to Ganduje: ”the richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has promised to bring a Mobile Test Centre which has the capacity of testing 400 people per day,” adding that with time, the Mobile testing would increase to testing up to 1000 people per day.
The Nation reports that Ganduje also hinted that the Bayero University Kano (BUK) Test Centre will soon be operational.
He regretted ” the set backs we have witnessed for some weeks now without Test Centre contributed to the high level of cases that Kano has recorded.”
NAN
