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By Correspondent in Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Government has imposed fresh restrictions to safeguard public health, following a spike in the cases of COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor Kayode Fayemi, who reeled out new guidelines to curb the second wave of COVID-19 in a state broadcast on Wednesday evening, said the step became necessary to ensure that the situation did not snowball out of control.
Fayemi said that security agencies had been given strict instructions to begin aggressive compliance enforcement of the new rules in public places.
The Reporters reports that affected by the latest restrictions include worship centres which have been directed to return to one service on worship days of Friday, Saturday and Sunday at half of the sitting capacity of the worship centre.
The Governor also directed that schools in the state would remain closed till January 18 while vigil, partying and clubbing had been suspended till further notice.
The governor directed civil servants on Grade Level 12 and below to stay at home till January 18 when they would be directed on when to resume at their desks.
Government officials, he noted, were to discourage in-person meetings as much as possible, adding that none of them must be seen in the public without wearing facemasks.
According to him, protocols regarding wedding and burial ceremonies remain in force, adding that no crowd in the church auditorium and burial services must be at the graveside only.
Supermarkets, event centres, hotels and bar owners, he added, wrre to strictly ensure to ensure social distancing measures were put in place and followed accordingly.
The Governor said only half of the full sitting capacity of a facility could be allowed to participate in any ceremony/programme, at any point and activities should not exceed 8p.m.
He said: “In Ekiti here, as at two days ago, we had done a total of 7, 890 tests with 405 confirmed cases since the outbreak. We have about 30 active cases currently under treatment in our isolation centre.
“One frightening fact about these figures,however,is that we have recorded about 15 cases out of about 170 tests conducted in the last one week. This is near 10 per cent confirmed cases, as against the less than 5 percent that we used to have at the beginning of the pandemic, earlier in the year.
“Things were not this bad when we imposed strict restrictions on the state at the outset of the breakout of the pandemic in March.
“Government is therefore very disturbed with the rising figure and its implications on our fragile health facilities and economic wellbeing.
“We understand the importance of this season in our religious life as a people, we however must prioritise public health above other considerations.
“Therefore, we expect churches to observe the service in strict compliance with COVID-19 protocols such as hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, observation of the approved social distance and to allow only half of the sitting capacity of the church to partake in the service.
“In addition, protocols regarding wedding and burial ceremonies remain in force. There should be no crowd in the church auditorium and burial services must be at the graveside only.
“Supermarkets, event centres, hotels and bar owners are to strictly ensure that social distancing measures are put in place and followed accordingly.”
