COVID-19: Oyo shuts down civil service for two weeks

The Oyo State government has said it will shut down its civil service effective Friday.

Mr Seyi Makinde, the state governor, who heads the Oyo State COVID-19 task force, gave this directive in a series of tweets on his handle, @seyimakinde, on Wednesday evening.

Exempted from the directive, however, are workers rendering essential services.

“The Oyo State civil service will shut down for two weeks from Friday, March 27, 2020. Only workers rendering essential services will be required to report for duty,” Makinde said.

On suspected cases in the state, he said the state still had one confirmed case of the United Kingdom returnee to Bodija.

He, however, said that the returnee was receiving treatment at the isolation centre – Agbami Chest Centre, Jericho, Ibadan.

Meanwhile, Makinde added that there was another case of a returnee from the United States of America in Oluyole Local Government Area, who remained asymptomatic despite completing her 14-day self-isolation period.

Makinde noted that the state government was not oblivious of some private schools flouting its directive for closure of schools, warning that its task force comprising officials SUBEB, TESCOM and the Ministry of Education was all out to deal with erring schools.

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On its earlier restriction on religious and social gatherings, Makinde said that the state had extracted assurance of religious leaders and stakeholders in the hospitality industry on compliance.

“Ministry of Health officials met with religious leaders to ensure compliance with the directive that gatherings are limited to a maximum of 30 persons. They also met with stakeholders in the hospitality industry to ensure compliance with the directive that nightclubs remain closed,” he stated.

Among other measures to curb a spread of coronavirus, Makinde said he had mandated all transport operators and park managers to provide hand washing facilities with soap and running water, alcohol-based sanitisers for the use of drivers, conductors and passengers.

He added that standing in public mass transit buses popularly called ‘Ajumose,’ was prohibited while there must be a minimum of one seat interval between passengers.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE