By Victor Ogunje
Barely five months it lifted the restriction slammed on Ekiti State, the state government has again imposed a curfew from dusk-to-dawn curfew and banned all gatherings of more than 20 people in the state with effect from Monday, 11th January, 2021 until further notice.
The curfew will last between 8p.m. and 6a.m. in the morning.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, the state Commissioner for Information, Hon Akinbowale Omole, explained that the new guideline is to forestall the spread of the coronavirus in the state, adding that the is need to take proactive steps to curtail the spread of the second wave of the virus which has been reported to be more contagious and severe than the first one.
The statement stressed that the curfew would be enforced strictly except for those that can prove that they are on essential services.
Reiterating the commitment of the state government to the safety of lives of people in the State, Omole said Governor Fayemi directed the imposition of the curfew to protect residents of the state from falling prey to the second wave of the pandemic that has continued to claim thousands of lives all over the world.
He stressed the need for the people to strictly observe the Covid-19 protocols and abide by the curfew and new restrictions placed on public gatherings by the state government, warning that government would enforce the new directives and recalcitrant people would be made to face the wrath of the law.
Omole emphasised the need for people in the State to properly wear nose masks, wash their hands with soap and use hand sanitizer regularly, as well as keep social distance to avoid contacting the virus.
According to the commissioner, there is also a ban on all public gatherings of more than twenty people while Covid-19 prevention protocol should be strictly observed even in such gatherings.
Omole expatiated that, to allow faithfuls observe their religious worships, the state government each worship centre to hold a maximum of two services on Friday, Saturday or Sunday accordingly adding that the services should however not extend beyond 2p.m.
He re-emphasised “that all worship centers are expected to provide necessary facilities for hand washing, soap and hand sanitizer at the entrance and infra-red thermometers to take worshippers temperature before they are allowed in for service”.
He added that “the state Covid-19 Response Committee put in place by Ekiti State Government and other relevant enforcement agencies would be going round to ensure compliance with these directives and any person or group of persons caught violating the guidelines put in place to curtail the pandemic in the state will be prosecuted and sanctioned accordingly”.
The Information Commissioner stated that top government functionaries both at the state and local government levels, local government chairmen, traditional rulers and law enforcement agencies are expected to monitor compliance and promptly report any violation to the Covid-19 Response Taskforce.
