Rivers executive order on public burial: Violators to pay N10m

From June 5,  2020, through the period of the ravaging coronavirus, any violator of new Rivers State Executive Order regulating the conduct of public burials in the state would be liable to a fine of N10million.

The penalty contained in the Executive Order Prescribing Guidelines for Conduct on Public Burials in Rivers State by Governor Nyesom Wike, released, yesterday, and published in a June 5, Rivers State Official Gazzette affects persons who died from February 1, 2020.

The order, part of Rivers State government containment measures against Covid-19 also prescribe that public burial or movement of a corpse out of the state would now require approval from the state governor throughout the period of Coronavirus.

The guidelines also specified that the governor’s approval which must be sought in the application through the Commissioner for Health must be accompanied by, “a death certificate showing cause of death, in particular whether or not it was related to Covid-19.”

Other requirements include confirmation that an applicant must have read and comprehended requirement contained in the “Order and Quarantine (Covid-19) and Other Infectious Diseases Regulation (No 3) of 2020 prescribing penalty, breach of conditions, guidelines or protocols specified in the approval” before engaging in the burial and movement of a corpse.

The governor may according to the Order grant approval for relatives to conduct public burials for their loved one if the cause of death is not Covid-19 related provided there shall be no more than 50 participants and the event not lasting beyond 9 a.m., to noon with conscious adherence to all Covid-19 containment protocols in presence of state observers. In the event that the diseased died of Covid-19, the Commissioner for Health shall direct the applicant to hold the burial immediately under the strict supervision of officials of the state Ministry of Health.”

6 NDDC staff test positive to COVID-19 Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, yesterday, said six out of the 33 staffers, working in the commission’s Executive Director of Project office, Dr. Cairo Odjougboh, have tested positive for COVID-19. The commission in a statement on its twitter handle @NDDCOnline also disclosed that the test result of Odjougboh came out positive.

The tests on staffers working at the commission’s headquarters followed reported death of one of its directors as a result of COVID-19. Also, Spokesman of the commission, Mr Charles Odili, said: “Following the directive by the

Rivers State Ministry of Health that staff of NDDC, should self-isolate in view of the commission’s index case, all suspected cases have been requested to present themselves for testing, line listing, and contact tracing in order to ensure public health safety.

“The commission is liaising with the Rivers State Public Health Emergency team and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, to conduct Coronavirus test for members of staff and their dependents.

“The testing exercise, which is ongoing, has already covered the offices of the acting Managing Director and that of the acting Executive Director Projects.

Unfortunately, a few positive results have been recorded. “Staff of the remaining directorates and departments have been advised to avail themselves of the opportunity of being tested at the Medical Unit of the commission which has been fully decontaminated.

“This important exercise will commence on June 9, 2020, and staff should be rest assured that the COVID-19 pandemic is not a death sentence,” he added.

Delta govt threatens to shutdown hotels over noncompliance with guidelines Meanwhile, Delta State Government has threatened to shut down hotels flouting the state government’s guidelines in their operations as contained in the COVID-19 protocols released by the government.

Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie who led members of the state Covid-19 Taskforce, stated this when he monitored the compliance level of the directives in some hotels in Asaba.

While sealing the bars of Hampton Towers, Golden Tulips, Vienna International Hotels, he warned hotel managements to adhere strictly to the Covid-19 guidelines.

He noted that the guidelines for the re-opening of hotels, allowed the opening of “in-room dining only, while restaurants, bars and night clubs in or attached to hotels remained closed to both in-house guests and the public till further notice.

“If the hotels continue to flout the guidelines, they will leave the government with no option than to shut them down indefinitely as they portend a great danger to residents of the state,” he said.