Sanwo-Olu tells Lagos civil servants to work from home

Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Sunday told civil servants on levels 1 to 12 in the state to stop going to work for the next two weeks as the state battles coronavirus.

Affected workers constitute 70 per cent of the state’s workforce. But workers in emergency and essential services such as healthcare and fire services are not included in the directive.

The order came hours after three new cases of the new coronavirus were confirmed in the state, bringing the total number of the virus cases in Lagos to 19.

The workers are to work from their homes, the Governor said at a press conference held at Lagos House in Marina.

The latest directive came two days after the State Government shut down schools and suspended public gatherings of more than fifty persons.

The measure followed confirmation of additional coronavirus cases across the nation on Sunday, with 3 more confirmed in Lagos.

“I am hereby directing that all public officers in the entire unified public service from Grade Level 1 to 12, which constitute about 70 per cent of our entire public workforce should stay at home from March 23, 2020, and this will last for 14 days in the first instance,” Sanwo-Olu said.

“We will review this measure as time goes on. Members of the public are advised to refrain visiting any of our public offices. They are to transact any businesses as it is possible on the phone or online channels. This stay-at-home order does not affect our first responders.

“Medical personnel, firefighters, members of emergency services, those in waste management operations and all those on essential services are meant to still be at their duty posts.”