President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday released the “Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Health Protection Regulations 2021,” targeted at stemming the second wave of the pandemic and curtailing the rising infection and deaths across Nigeria.
The health protection regulation, which exhaustively deals with all aspects of the protocols on the deadly virus, prescribes penalties including six months imprisonment for violators of the guidelines.
Buhari said he issued the regulations, “In the exercise of the powers conferred upon me by Section 4 of the Quarantine Act, Cap. Q2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2010 and all other powers enabling me in that behalf; and in consideration of the urgent need to protect the health and wellbeing of Nigerians in the face of the widespread and rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria.”
The regulation provides for physical distance of at least two metres between persons at all gatherings, stating, “Notwithstanding the provision of Regulation 1, no gathering of more than 50 persons shall hold in an enclosed space, except for religious purposes.”
“The provisions of these Regulations may be varied by Guidelines and Protocols as may be issued, from time to time, by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 on the recommendation of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).”
Also, no person shall be allowed within the premises of a market, mall, supermarket, shop, restaurants, hotels, event centres, gardens, leisure parks, recreation centres, motor parks, fitness centre or any other similar establishment (hereinafter collectively referred to as “establishments”) without face-mask, washing of hands or using hand sanitiser approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) etc.
Specifically, the regulation provides that persons confirmed to have tested positive to COVID-19 by an NCDC accredited laboratory may not refuse isolation and or admission to a designated health establishment for management of the disease.
On penalties for violating the guidelines and protocols, the law says “An offence under these Regulations is punishable, on summary conviction, by a fine or a term of six months imprisonment or both in accordance with Section 5 of the Quarantine Act.”
