Following the rise in the cases of COVID-19 recorded in Osun state in the past few days, the Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, has ordered the total lockdown of four of the local government areas of the state for seven days, in the first instance.
The affected council areas are Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Atakumosa East and Atakumosa West.
The decision was the fallout of a meeting between the government and stakeholders from the areas as a result of suspected community transmission of the disease.
The lockdown is expected to commence on Tuesday July 7, and will be for one week in the first instance. However, if the compliance level is not encouraging, the government threatened to announce an extension of the lockdown.
The state also said it was closely monitoring other Local Government Areas with rising numbers of those testing positive for COVID-19 and might, in the days ahead, lock down more areas.
However, the relaxation in other areas of the state has been extended by two weeks.
These were contained in a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Informaion and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode.
She said the decision to impose a total lockdown on the four local government areas was aimed at containing the spread of the virus in that axis of the state, noting that government had every reason to believe that it was already witnessing what looked more like a community transmission in the area, and as such, there was a need to come up with measures to arrest the trend.
The Commissioner stressed that the lockdown would be total, noting that residents and citizens in that axis would not have the opportunity to go to worship centres and markets during the period. They will only be allowed to shop within their neighbourhood.
Under the lockdown, there would be no vehicular movement within the affected areas. Only those on essential duties such as health, fire service, environmental officials, security personnel, power and water supply agencies, media and telecommunication officers will be allowed to move.
Egbemode also revealed that intra-state travel to and within the affected communities and to other parts of the state was banned during the period of the lockdown, warning that violators of the lockdown order would be severely dealt with.
She said, “As you are all aware, the Federal Government, a few days ago lifted the ban on inter-state travel in the country. We have, therefore, lifted ours too. But our relaxation guidelines still subsists except for four local government areas, namely; Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Atakumosa West and Atakumosa East Local Government areas, where we have now ordered a one-week lockdown, effective Tuesday, July 7.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our curfew will still run from 9pm to 5am, daily, in other parts of the state, except the locked down LGAs.
“In furtherance to the above, for the other parts of the state, the ban on political, public, religious, and any kind of gatherings under whatever guise remain in force, while worship centres must adhere strictly to government’s guidelines guiding their re-opening. Government will not hesitate to shut down any of the worship centres that violates our guidelines.”
