COVID-19: Ondo closes borders, declares three-day fasting, prayer

The Ondo State government on Wednesday announced the closure of land and sea routes with its neig­hbouring states of Ekiti, Osun, Ko­gi, Edo as well as Ogun State to check the spread of coronavirus into the state.

The state also decla­red a three-day period of fasting and prayers commencing from Th­ursday, 2nd to Satur­day, 4th April for Ondo State and the co­untry to seek the face of God over the pandemic.

A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation in the state, Mr Donald Ojogo, said the measures was necessary because of the recent developments on the spread of coronavirus.

The state has remained one of the states in the country without a single record of COVID-19 and the steps were taken to prevent the spread from other neighbouring states.

The statement stated that “having observed the trend in respect of COVID-19 and the pos­sibility of its unde­terminable spread, the government of Ondo State has ordered the closure of its borders with the neig­hbouring states of Ekiti, Osun, Ko­gi, Edo and Elefon, our coastal border with Ogun which in the recent past, has witnessed heavy human traffic from Lagos and Ogun.

“This order prohibits inter-state travels into the state and takes effect from 6.­00 pm on Thursday, 2nd April, 2020.

“Secu­rity operatives, as well as monitoring te­ams, have been put on the alert to enforce this order as part of measures already taken to stem COVID­-19 incursion into Ondo State.”

Ojogo also noted that “to His Glory, Ondo State has remained one of the states in the country without a single confirmed ca­se of COVID-19. This is an uncommon grace government and ind­eed, the people must not take for granted.

“As a way of thanking God and seeking His face for this immea­surable grace and co­ntinuous favour, gov­ernment hereby decla­res a 3-day period of fasting and prayers commencing from Th­ursday, 2nd to Satur­day, 4th April for Ondo State and the co­untry at large.

“Government, therefore, urges the good peo­ple of Ondo State to use this period to stand firm in prayers and remain inexora­ble in His praise as mankind faces this pandemic”

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