The Federal Government has asked public servants to work from home, as a step to effect social distancing and check the spread of Coronavirus.
In a memo issued by Folashade Yemi Esan, Head of Service of the Federation, government directed all public servants from levels 1 through 12 to work from home effective Tuesday, March 24.
For those who would remain at work, they had to limit the number of visitors they receive to avoid any unnecessary large gathering.
“As you are no doubt aware, the Federal Government has taken a number of measures to manage the identified cases of COVID–19 and curtail its spread.
“Government is concerned about the welfare and safety of all public servants just as it is about other Nigerians. All public servants are, therefore, strongly advised to follow the measures being put in place by government to curtail the spread of the pandemic,” it read.
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The work-from-home order would last indefinitely until the government reviews the situation and decides that it is safe to come back to work.
“All other categories of officers who will be at work, are strongly advised to limit the number of visitors they receive to the barest minimum. This is to reduce physical contact as much as possible.”
What this means: With several state governments declaring partial lockdowns in a bid to check the spread of the virus, this stay at home order from the Federal Government will greatly reduce movement around the country.
Consequently, the country might begin to record a further drop in economic activities even as civil and public servants have been asked to stay home indefinitely.
The Federal Government had also ordered the closure of Unity schools and all tertiary institutions in the country, on Friday.
Meanwhile, the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari had taken to her official Twitter handle to call for a total shutdown of the country.
According to her tweet, children could not be sent home from school when their parents still go out to work every day and expose themselves to the novel virus.