COVID-19: Citizens groan as Gov. Lalong extends lockdown

By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

Plateau State citizens are becoming uncomfortable with the incessant lockdown measure adopted by the State Government to curb the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 virus ravaging the world.

Residents expressed their frustration on Thursday, immediately after the Governor’s broadcast instructing citizens to go out on Friday to restock their homes, a grace period which will last till Sunday night after which the lockdown resumes Monday 4th May 2020.

It would be recalled that Plateau began its ever first total lockdown on the 9th of April 2020, a situation residents thought would last for only a period of one week.

However with Lalong’s speech on Thursday evening, it became clear that the lockdown has become a new normal in Plateau, as a clause in the Governor’s speech indicates that the pattern will be sustained until further review.

According to Lalong “the total lockdown which resumed midnight Sunday April 26th, shall be relaxed from Midnight of Thursday 30th April to Midnight of Sunday 3rd May, to enable people again re-stock their homes. Thereafter, the total lockdown will resume on Monday 4th May 2020.

“This will henceforth be the pattern until further review. In order words, the period of restocking will last from Midnight of every Thursday to Midnight of every Sunday”, Lalong said.