Oyetola orders fresh lockdown in Osun as COVID-19 keeps spreading
Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State today ordered fresh lockdown in four local government areas in the state due to increasing number of Coronavirus there.
The State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs. Funke Egbemode told The Nigerian Voice that the lockdown affects four local government areas including Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Atakumosa East and Atakumosa West.
She explained that Governor Oyetola ordered total lockdown of four of the local government areas for seven days in the first instance.
She said the decision was the fallout of the meeting between the government and the stakeholders from the area.
She said "Under the lockdown, there would be no vehicular movement within the affected areas. Only those on essential duties such as health, fire service, environmental officials, security personnel, power and water supply agencies, media and telecommunication officers will be allowed to move.
Egbemode also revealed that intra-state travel to and within the affected communities and to other parts of the State is banned during the period of the lockdown, warning that violators of the lockdown order will be severely dealt with.
"As you are all aware, the Federal Government, a few days ago lifted the ban on inter-state travel in the country. We have, therefore, lifted ours too. But our relaxation guidelines still subsists except for four local government areas, namely; Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Atakumosa West and Atakumosa East Local Government areas where we have now ordered a one-week lockdown, effective Tuesday, July 7.
"For the avoidance of doubt, our curfew will still run from 9.p.m to 5.a.m daily in other parts of the State, except the locked down LGAs.
"In furtherance to the above, for the other parts of the State, the ban on political, public, religious, and any kind of gathering under whatever guise remain in force, while worship centres must adhere strictly to government's guidelines guiding their re-opening. Government will not hesitate to shut down any of the worship centre that violates our guidelines.
"For the four local government areas, all markets will remain shut, only neighbourhood markets and Pharmacies will be allowed to open.
"There must be strict adherence to stipulated physical distancing, the use of face masks, and observance of all other precautionary measures and established protocols of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
"To this end, we urge citizens and residents of the affected communities to take advantage of the hours between now and Monday to stock up provisions that will last them one week in the first instance.
"We have mandated and mobilised the state’s task force and security operatives to strictly enforce the measures.
"The decision to shut down a part of the state, though painful, is the only way to go if it must arrest further spread of the virus in the state".