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General News of Friday, 20 March 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Osun govt bans public gatherings of more than 50 persons until further notice

Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola

Osun State Government has placed a ban on all gatherings that would bring together 50 or more persons in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

This is coming after the Lagos State Government and the Federal Government shut all schools as the country's coronavirus cases rose to 12.

The ban, according to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Gboyega Oyetola, Mr Ismail Omipidan, will also extend to all schools in Osun, churches, mosques, night clubs and sports arenas among others.

Osun govt, however, urged its citizens to stay calm and avoid panic as the ban was initiated for health reasons although the state is yet to confirm any case.

The statement reads, “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 a 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” the statement added.

Nigerian Tribune