Governor Gboyega Oyetola has issued a ban on public gatherings in churches, mosques, nightclubs, sports arenas, schools and other public places to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
In a statement issued by Oyetola’s spokesman Ismail Omipidan on Thursday March 19, it was gathered that the ban takes effect from Friday March 20 till further notice.
The Osun state governor stated that the proactive measure became neccessary following the few cases reported in neighboring states.
The statement reads in parts;
“The ban will affect all Schools in Osun, Churches, Mosques, Night Clubs and Sports arenas among others.
“As at 18th March 2020, the total number of cases as announced by the Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, stands at eight (8), with one of the five (5) recent cases confirmed on Wednesday, in Ekiti State.
“Though we have not recorded any case of the deadly virus, as a responsible government, we must be prepared so that we are not taken by surprise. The coronavirus scourge is a complex public health emergency, the type the world had never seen.
“Therefore, to protect our dear state, our children, and our economy will require our collective response and sacrifice. Government at both state and local government levels will lead but we will all need to do our bit to get through this bad patch.
“As a responsible and responsive government that places premium on the well-being of its people, we will protect our citizens from potential and actual threats.
“We also urge our people to dedicatedly observe the precautionary protocols of thorough washing of hands with soap and clean water and the use of hand sanitiser; observing social distance and avoiding large gatherings, and alerting the authority of any suspected case.
“Our Technical Action Committee is working round the clock to beef up the State’s capacity for epidemiological control and management. We therefore call on citizens not to give in to undue panic.”
