The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr Douye Diri, has approved a dusk-to-dawn curfew as part of measures to prevent COVID-19 spread in the state.
The curfew, which took effect on Sunday, April 19, would restrict movements between 7pm and 6am across the state.
A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Orientation, Mr Freston Akpor, who is also a member of the state’s COVID-19 task force chaired by Diri, said the curfew would last five days.
“This is part of proactive measures initiated to further reinforce the ban on social gathering, particularly night clubs, beer palours, bar and nocturnal worship activities, to enhance social distancing,” the statement added.
The government imposed the curfew not more than 24 hours after it reiterated that its COVID-19 order against any form of social gathering in the state was still in force.
The governor had in a statement on Saturday by his acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, insisted that the directive banning gatherings at worship centres, which was restored after the Easter celebration, had not been lifted.
Diri said, “The total lockdown on any form of gathering, including worship centres, is in force. No kind of gathering, even in churches, is permitted after the Easter celebrations. The order is that worship services, no matter the number of persons, are prohibited for now. People should meet in their homes and not in worship centres.”
