COVID-19: Akeredolu imposes dusk to dawn curfew as cases increase

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, on Tuesday, announced stringent measures to halt the spread of COVID -19 in the state by ordering dusk to dawn curfew in the state.

Akeredolu, while announcing this measure said the imposition of curfew from 7 pm to 7 am while the order takes effect from Tuesday, April 14, 2020, until further notice.

He said the sterner measures to enforce compliance to these regulations became imperative following the discovering of the third case of Coronavirus in the state who developed symptoms after the index case was confirmed.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ondo State now has three confirmed cases of the new coronavirus.

He said: “Today, we took more stringent measures to ensure compliance with the regulations we passed in order to control the spread of COVID19 in Ondo State.

“Henceforth we will be imposing a curfew from 7 pm to 7 am every day with effect from today April 14, 2020, until further notice.

“We will arrest and detain individuals found to have breached government’s directives on the restriction of movement of persons and goods, operation of business premises and community markets, religious gatherings and public bars and other social activities within the state.

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“The only exceptions are where food and medical items are sold with total compliance to social and physical distancing rules.

“We will arrest and detain individuals and goods being transported into Ondo State through our borders in breach of the extant directive on total closure of the borders.

He, however, said “the only exceptions allowed are for purposes of obtaining food, seeking emergency lifesaving or chronic medical attention or obtaining security passes for such journeys in accordance with our regulations.

“The point must be made again that the fight against #COVID19 is a responsibility that will demand utmost seriousness & vigilance. There is the need for effective measure of containment, investigation, enforcement and control. We will not shy away from our duty to ensure same.”

Akeredolu who described the third case that tested positive as recent unfortunate and disturbing despite all the measures put in place by the state government.

He explained that the new case is a medical practitioner with the Nigerian Army Clinic at the Owena Cantonment in Akure, and came in contact with the index case who is an Army officer while administering healthcare to him as a suspected case in the Clinic at the Army base.

He said: “As you are aware, the index case came back from a national assignment in India. His first point of examination and treatment was the Army Barracks from where the rest of the protocols were observed until he was confirmed and isolated.

“As a government, we took the conscious effort to monitor all the health workers in the Army clinic in order to track any possibility of primary or secondary infection. We also expanded this to all the possible and known contacts of the index case in the Barracks.

“This serious effort helped us to identify the current case who developed symptoms after the index case was confirmed. We took his samples for testing. The sample was confirmed positive,” he said.

He disclosed that the new case detected in the state has been transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital for proper care.

“For avoidance of doubt the current case is not currently a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as earlier announced. He is an employee of the Nigerian Army Barracks who served as a medical practitioner in the same facility in the year 2017 and was retained.

“It is clear from this particular case that unlike the previous two which were conveyed from outside the state, the current case is within our state with a tendency towards community transmission.

“In simple terms, we are now faced with the stark reality that Covid -19 may be transferred among families, workplaces, markets, places of worship, social gatherings and others within Ondo State, anytime without restriction and notice.

“While the government will continue to be alert to its responsibility of securing the lives of the people and providing for their welfare, it is unhelpful if simple and well-meaning guidelines provided for public good are ignored or treated with levity by citizens.

“It is particularly disheartening that in spite of the massive media publicity, policy and community advocacy as well as other response protocols put in place as precautionary guidelines against this pandemic reports reaching me have indicated serious gaps in compliance by our people”

The governor urged the people of the state to continue with the handwashing, social and physical distancing, discontinuance of social gathering and avoidance of unnecessary movement outside their home, to curb spread of the virus.

“Government is fully conscious of the pains and frustrations being currently experienced, as a result of the existing restrictions and limitations, especially by those whose daily survival depends on daily wage such as menial workers, artisans and traders.

It was to further alleviate their difficulties and pains that we have commenced our food palliative measures which are properly domiciled in the local governments and grassroots communities.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE