Gbadamosi Oladimeji
Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Saturday, has ordered a total lockdown in four local government areas of the state.
The lockdown, which will be effective from Tuesday for an initial period of seven days, will be enforced in Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Atakumosa East, and Atakumosa West LGAs.
The Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs Funke Egbemode, made this known in a statement on Saturday.
The decision was as a result of the fallout of the meeting between the state government and stakeholders from the affected areas.
She explained that the lockdown was to curtail the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the areas and the government would announce an extension if the compliance level was not encouraging.
Egbemode stated that the relaxation of lockdown in other areas has been extended by two weeks, and that the government was closely monitoring other LGAs with rising COVID-19 cases.
According to her, the government has every reason to believe that it is already witnessing what looks more like a community transmission in the areas, and as such, there is a need to come up with measures to arrest the trend.
The Commissioner stressed that residents in the affected LGAs cannot go to worship centres and markets during the period, but they would be allowed to shop within their neighbourhood.
She added that during the lockdown, there would be no vehicular movement but those on essential duties such as health workers, fire service officials, security personnel, and journalists would be exempted.
Egbemode warned that the government would ensure that violators of the lockdown order were severely punished if caught.
“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,” she said.
“The decision to shut down a part of the state, though painful, is the only way to go if it must arrest a further spread of the virus in the state.” Egbemode noted.
