Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has signed a new Executive Order to checkmate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic which will fine persons who conduct burials contrary to the provisions of the order the sum of 10 million.
The Order, RVSG – 122020, which was gazetted on Monday, issued new guidelines for conducting burials during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Section 3 of the order, any person intending to hold a public burial in the state or take any corpse outside the state for burial must apply to the governor for approval through the Commissioner for Health.
The order, which took effect from June 5 said an application for such burial of Ny person that died from February 1, 2020 must be accompanied by a death certificate showing whether or not the death was related to COVID-19.
“The applicant shall pay a penalty of N10,000,000 to the government of Rivers State for any breach of the conditions, guidelines or protocols specified in the approval and set out herein” Section 4 of the order said.
It said that burial of a person who died of coronavirus must hold between 9 am to 12noon, not more than three hours with not more than 50 persons including family members in attendance.
It also provided that every person attending the burial must maintain social distancing of not more than two metres adding that all surfaces and enclosures must be decontaminated after the burial
