The Osun State Government, on Thursday, announced a ban on all gatherings of 50 people or more in the same place over the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic .
According to a statement signed by Ismail Omipidan, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Gboyega Oyetola, the ban will affect all schools , churches, mosques, night clubs and sports arenas among others, and it takes immediate effect, subject to review at a later date.
The government, in the statement, advised the citizenry not to panic, saying no case has been recorded in the state so far, as it noted that the government arrived at the decision it took after wide consultations with health professionals and stakeholders in the health sector over the pandemic
The statement read in part: “Though we have not recorded any case of the deadly virus, as a responsible government, we must be prepared so that we are not taken by surprise. The corona virus scourge is a complex public health emergency, the type the world had never seen.
“Therefore, to protect our dear state, our children, and our economy will require our collective response and sacrifice. Government at both state and local government levels will lead but we will all need to do our bit to get through this bad patch.
“As a responsible and responsive government that places a premium on the well-being of its people, we will protect our citizens from potential and actual threats.
“We also urge our people to dedicatedly observe the precautionary protocols of thorough washing of hands with soap and clean water and the use of hand sanitiser; observing social distance and avoiding large gatherings, and alerting the authority of any suspected case.
“Our Technical Action Committee is working round the clock to beef up the State’s capacity for epidemiological control and management. We therefore call on citizens not to give in to undue panic.”