By Ayodele Oni
Worried about continued increase in the number of COVID-19 patients, the Ekiti State Government has imposed a curfew from 8.00 pm to 6.00 am, and has banned all gatherings of more than twenty people in the state until further notice.
These restrictions took effect Monday, January 11, 2021.
The Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Mr Akinbowale Omole, announced these new guidelines in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, citing the alarming rate at which the second wave of COVID-19 is spreading in Nigeria, and elsewhere as reason for these drastic steps.
He said there was need for the Government to be proactive and take decisive steps to secure the citizens from falling prey to the second wave of the pandemic that has claimed thousands of lives all over the world recently.
He urged the people to continue to observe the Covid-19 protocols strictly and also abide by the curfew and new restrictions placed on public gatherings by the State Government.
Mr Omole called on the people to ensure that they wear nose masks properly, wash hands with soap and use hand sanitizer regularly, as well as keep social distance to avoid contacting the virus.
According to him, the curfew placed throughout the State from 8.00 pm to 6.00 am will be strictly enforced except for those that can prove that they are on essential services.
“There is also a ban on all public gatherings of more than twenty people while Covid-19 prevention protocol should be strictly observed even in such gatherings.
“To allow faithfuls observe their religious worships, the government allows for two services to take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday accordingly and that all these services should not extend beyond 2.00pm on such days.”
He re-emphasized that all worship centers are expected to provide necessary facilities for hand washing, soap and hand sanitizer at the entrance and infra-red thermometers to take worshippers temperature before they are allowed in for service.
He added that the State Covid-19 Response Committee put in place by the State Government and other relevant enforcement agencies would be going round to ensure compliance with these directives and any person or group of persons caught violating the guidelines put in place to curtail the pandemic in the state will be prosecuted and sanctioned accordingly.
The Commissioner called on all top Government functionaries both at the State and Local Government levels, Local Government Chairmen, Kabiyesis and law enforcement agencies not only to obey Covid prevention protocols themselves, but also to monitor compliance and report any violation to the Covid-19 Response Taskforce promptly.
Omole assured that Government will continue to do all within its power to ensure that this second wave of the pandemic does not have a foothold in the state.
