El Rufai - Lockdown, curfew in force

The Kaduna State Government has said the lockdown in the state is still in force.

In a statement issued by Governor Nasir el-Rufai ‘s Special Adviser on Media and Communication,  Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, the government said that the order would remain in force until Tuesday, June 9. The statement added, 

“Governor Nasir El-Rufai will address the state on Tuesday and will specify the next steps for the state; which sectors will be permitted to open and the safety guidelines that each sector is expected to comply with before reopening. No market, school or place of worship will reopen until the government makes the required proclamation.”

The government was reacting to a report that it had reviewed the state quarantine law.

Adekeye said El-Rufai would address the state on Tuesday during which the next step in the COVID-19 fight would be revealed.

Sex with someone you don't live with is now illegal - UK

UK citizens have been banned from having sex with anyone outside of their own household under new coronavirus lockdown legislation rolled out by the Government.

On Monday June 1, the UK government introduced new measures that ban people from socialising indoors with anyone not already in their household. The new regulation reads: 

‘No person may participate in a gathering which takes place in a public or private place indoors, and consists of two or more persons.’ .

Previously, anyone who goes inside another person’s home would be breaching the lockdown rules but now both persons could be prosecuted under the new amendment to the.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations 2020 bill, that was tabled before Parliament on Monday.

According to the new rules, only those with ‘reasonable excuses’ will be allowed to meet privately indoors, which does not include meeting up to have sex. Reasonable excuses include jogging or exercising for elite athletes, movement of vulnerable people and key or essential workers.

Queen Elizabeth makes her first appearance since lockdown began

The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth has made her first public appearance since lockdown in the UK began, on horseback.

The 94-year-old took Balmoral Fern, a 14-year-old fell pony, for a ride in the grounds of Windsor Castle, where she and the Duke of Edinburgh have been isolating.

She hasn’t stopped with official duties and delivered her message to the nation on VE Day last month, encouraging the country to “never give up, never despair”.

"Lockdown will lead to baby boom" - Pastor Adeboye

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said that the lockdown which is caused by the coronavirus pandemic would produce “great things”.

The 78-year-old cleric stated this today during a sermon broadcast live via the church’s media, DOVE TV.

Adeboye, who traced lockdown to the era of biblical characters like Joseph, Elijah, David, John the beloved, and many others, said one of the “great things” that would come out of the lockdown is an increase in birthrate all over the world. He said, 

“A lot of great things are going to come out of this lockdown. Let me advise those of you who are pastors – you are resting now; I am busy. 

Get ready because early next year, you’ll be having a lot of naming ceremonies. You’ll be going from house to house naming newborn babies as a result of the lockdown.”

He noted that the rate of coronavirus recoveries across the globe is “amazing”, saying that the percentage of discharged patients is less than one-tenth of the associated deaths recorded.

“Aren’t you amazed at the number of those released compared to people who died? Check all over the world, you’ll find out that the number is less than those who have been healed.

If you do a scientific study, you’ll find out that the number of people who had died as a result of coronavirus is far less than those who died by accidents and other means,” he said.

"Lockdown won't go longer than necessary" – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that the lockdown put in place to reduce the spread of coronavirus in the country would not go longer than necessary.

The president said this in a statement issued ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu on Saturday, May 23, 2020.

In his Sallah message, the president told the Muslim faithful to keep their spirits up in spite of the challenges. He said,

“The lockdown measures would not go on longer than necessary because they would be reviewed from time to time to ease the increasing hardships on the people.

I am well aware of the inconveniences these tough measures have brought on the lives of Nigerians, including limiting religious activities and gatherings in large numbers.

No government would intentionally impose these tough and demanding measures on its citizens if it had a choice.”

Buhari also appealed to Nigerian whose businesses and means of livelihoods were badly affected by the prolonged lockdown measures for their understanding and cooperation. He said,

“For the first time in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the people’s spiritual, social, and economic lives.

This year’s fasting period was particularly challenging for Muslims because they had to forgo many important aspects of their daily worship, including the routine congregations for prayer and the recitation and interpretation of the Holy Qur’an as well as travelling for the lesser pilgrimage to Makkah.

It is not easy to give up many of these important duties and activities, but it became imperative to do so in order to control or limit the spread of this deadly disease.”

Ogun State extends lockdown by one week again

Ogun Government has yet again extended the existing lockdown by another week.

Gov Dapo Abiodun made this known while briefing journalists on Friday in Abeokuta. He maintained that the state was constrained to extend the lockdown for another week as it continued to record more cases of the Coronavirus.

According to the governor, it is a painful but necessary decision that has to be taken to maintain the balance between lives and livelihood.

“We cannot ignore the fact that we are having a sudden rise in the number of new cases. We all decried an increase of 30 per cent last week when I was giving the weekly update.

This week’s increase of over 37 per cent is even more worrisome, particularly as we are still under an eased lockdown, and considering the demography and location of the confirmed cases, we can confirm that community transmission is on the increase in our state.

I have to state that after all considerations, we are constrained to take the painful, but necessary decision to continue the eased lockdown of Ogun State for another one week till Sunday, May 31.

As we have always maintained the delicate balance between lives and livelihood, we will continue to have our window of relaxation, from 7 am to 5 pm on Monday, 25th May; Wednesday, 27th May, and Friday, 29th May.

We must also bear in mind that the daily curfew from 8 pm to 6 am and the ban on non-essential inter-state travel as directed by Mr President still stand,” he said.

Gov. Abiodun, however, said that the second phase, to begin from June 1, would be accompanied by a further ease of the lockdown and expansion of the windows of relaxation.