The Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, said the state government has isolated a total number of 221 persons suspected to be COVID-19 patients in the state.
Mr Lalong, in a statewide broadcast on Thursday, also disclosed that about 1,607 lockdown violators had been arrested and convicted at special mobile courts in the state.
The governor, therefore, relaxed the total lockdown effective Friday to Sunday midnight.
According to him, the decision is to allow people to restock their homes with food items.
“We have also continued our surveillance, contact tracing and investigation of suspected cases.
“As of today, we have investigated 231 cases and quarantined 221 people who came in from States with COVID-19 cases in our facilities in Heipang and Mangu.
“Thirty-three (33) others have been discharged from self-isolation,” he said.
According to him, all the investigated cases, none has been confirmed positive, as results of seven others are in the waiting, adding that the state have equally activated isolation centres in Shendam and Pankshin as part of capacity building to handle the challenge.
Mr Lalong said his government had installed CCTV cameras as well as discreet monitoring, in other to deal with the challenges of violations and compromise, at the borders of state.
“Nevertheless, we have continued to arrest and try violators of the lockdown order in Mobile Courts while quarantining those who come in from other States.
“From the commencement of the second phase of the lockdown, we have arrested, tried and convicted 769 violators.
“This brings to a total of 1,607 convictions so far,” he added.
