After 75 days, Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, today June 9 lifted the lockdown in the state, giving churches and mosques the opportunity to congregate once again for prayers.

In a statewide broadcast today June 9, Governor El Rufai applauded residents of the state for their immense sacrifices in the last two-and-half months that the state had been on lockdown as containment measures against the spread of Coronavirus in the state.

The governor announced that businesses and places of worship can now reopen under strict guidelines while schools and markets are to remain closed.

“Businesses can reopen, subject to the provision of thermometers for temperature checks, sanitizers or hand washing equipment and physical distancing measures within all facilities. Working hours will be 9am to 3pm daily”.

He said that Church services are allowed only on Sundays and Mosques are allowed to conduct only Friday Jumat services, for the time being, subject to compliance with the safety stipulations to the guidelines.

“Supermarkets and providers of personal services such as hair dressing and barbing salons can reopen,” he said

The governor said the ban on intra-state travel has been lifted but government officials will continue to control state boundaries to reduce unauthorized interstate travel.

“Within the state, security checkpoints will be allowed only to enforce compliance with the night-time curfew. During the day, any violations of the adjusted quarantine order like failure to wear facemasks, etc., will be enforced by operation Yaki, KASTLEA, the vigilance service and our mobile courts,” he said.