The Federal Government has announced that only shops and stalls selling food and groceries will be allowed to open to customers in states where a lock down was imposed, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm every 48 hours or less frequently.
The National Co-ordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Aliyu Sani, said this on Wednesday during a briefing by members of the task force.
“For markets, only shops and stalls selling food and groceries shall be allowed to open to customers between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm,” he said.
Meanwhile, for supermarkets and food stores, their opening hours must be between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm and all owners and managers have been warned to screen staff and customers before entry.
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“On arrival, all staff must be screened for a high temperature and all those found to have a high body temperature above 38, will be denied entry and advised to seek immediate medical attention.
“All deliveries for supplies and products for these supermarkets must be made between the hours of 5:00 am and 9:00 am,” Sani added.
He further stated that at any point in time, the total number of customers inside each store must not exceed a third of the store’s total capacity.
After their closure at 4:00 pm, Sani urged shop owners to ensure that all shelves, aisles and stores are cleaned and disinfected and by 6:00 pm, staff are conveyed back to their respective homes.
N/B: An earlier version of this story suggested that the opening of markets would be daily, however, while the time of opening remains between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, it is pertinent to note that the markets will only operate alternate day.
