Okowa extends lockdown in Delta by 14 days

The Delta government has extended the restrictions on movement in the state by two weeks.

Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of the state, said the extension is needed to trace, identify and isolate COVID-19 cases.

The state earlier shut its borders and restricted movements for two weeks on April 1. It had not recorded any case of the disease at the time.

Residents who provide essentials services and materials including security, healthcare, water, electricity are exempted from the restrictions. Media houses and telecommunications organisations are also exempted from the lockdown measures.

Officials of agencies that are exempted from the restrictions are required to carry valid identification tags.

But the measures had caused a protest in the state when a soldier enforcing the restrictions shot a resident dead.

The soldier was said to have chased the deceased who was driving a car without a licence plate, overpowered and shot him dead.

The state currently has three cases of COVID-19 and one death from the disease.

On Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari also extended the lockdown in the federal capital territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun states.

The president said he decided to extend the lockdown to ensure that the disease which is now being transmitted within communities is checked.

As of Monday evening, a total of 323 cases had been confirmed in the country with 91 patients discharged and 10 deaths recorded.