The Jigawa State government said markets across the state may be locked down again if the non-compliance with covid-19 protocol persisted.
The State Commissioner for Health, who is also the chairman, state taskforce on Covid-19, Dr Abba Zakari Umar, disclosed this to Daily Trust Saturday Thursday when he visited Maigatari market to monitor level of compliance.
“Majority are not using face masks. Before this time, we invited the leadership of all the markets in Jigawa and had this agreement. We have also read the riot act to them, that if you don’t ensure that people use face masks in your markets, it will be closed,” he said.
The commissioner said the situation was similar across markets in the state with promises by the leadership that there will be improvement.
He said the team will discuss at the taskforce level to take a final decision, saying however, the governor was clear during his broadcast that any market that was not complying will be closed and will not be opened until after the pandemic.
In his reaction, the Sarkin Kasuwa of Maigatari market, Muhammadu Ibrahim, said the level of non-compliance in the market had to do with its population and complexity.
He however appealed to the government to consider the plight of the people, promising that the leadership will do its best to ensure compliance.
