…….Civil Servants From GL 12 Resume Work
…….Normal Work Hours Monday to Friday Reinstated
By Dayo Omoogun
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the extension of the current phase of the national response to COVID-19 by another four weeks with some adjustments.
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF), who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, made this announcement at the briefing of the task force in Abuja on Thursday.
By this announcement, the guidelines put in place to curtail further spread of the virus under the second phase of the eased lockdown on June 1,2020 remains in force with slight adjustments.
The adjustments are made in consideration of the economic, socio-political and health concerns of Nigerians according to yesterday’s report by the Task Force.
The adjustments include the resumption of work by Civil Servants from Grade level 12 above, the resumption of normal work hours from Monday to Friday as opposed to the current three days per week, resumption of international flights in a few weeks’ time within established parameters, re-opening of the rail transport within established parameters and opening of recreational parks for supervised exercises.
According to Boss Mustapha, “After due consideration of the recommendations, Mr President approved the following: maintaining the current phase of the national response to COVID-19 for another four weeks in line with the modifications reflected in the report.
“He approved the partnering states and local governments to improve community sensitisation and engagement to the COVID-19 response; and mandating state authorities and the FCT to enforce non-pharmaceutical guidelines, primarily the use of face masks in a public appearance and places.
“The President approved that state governments should be encouraged to collaborate with local government authorities to intensify necessary measures such as contact tracing, grass-roots mobilisation and risk communication; and strengthening of collaboration with other mandate groups at federal/state levels to harmonise the country’s COVID-19 response, on the short, medium and long-term basis.
Elaborating, the PTF National Coordinator, Dr Sani Aliyu, said the 10 pm to 4 am curfew remains in force nationwide as bars, gyms and cinemas would remain closed. The earlier guidelines issued concerning worship centres are to be maintained while schools remain closed except for the graduating classes.
“Visiting of hospitalised patients remain limited to immediate family. And we continue to recommend a maximum of 20 people including family members when it comes to the attendance of funerals and other essential gatherings such as gatherings that cannot be changed,” he said.
“However, schools must comply with the six recommended steps and required measures issued by the Federal Ministry of Education and which is available online.
“For government and other corporate offices, we are now extending work hours to the normal office hours from Monday to Friday with the mandatory use of non-medical face masks.
“We encourage work at home policy for civil/public servants below Grade Level 12.”
Aliyu added that the National Youth Service Corps had been advised “to start planning ahead of resumption in future phases but not within the current phase of the response”.
He also disclosed that though banks had been advised to begin full operations, they were also urged to reduce banking hall occupancy by customers to 50 per cent and occupancy of their offices to 75 per cent.