Covid-19: Fayemi inaugurates task force

Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, on Monday, inaugurated a special task force to enforce its restriction order aimed at curtailing the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

Inaugurating the committee, Fayemi, represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Gbenga Agbeyo, said the government was not particularly happy about the way its order on congregation was being defied.

Fayemi explained that the inauguration had become necessary to stop the spread of the pandemic.

The terms of reference, according to the governor, include to ensure that all private and public schools in the state are closed and there is no gathering of more than 20 persons anywhere in the state.

“The task force is also to make sure that all public transport carries the required number of people and ensure that all market men and women practise hand washing in their shops,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the task force include the 16 local government council chairmen and representatives of the army and Department of State Services.

Others are representatives of the police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), market men and women, Ekiti State Environmental Inspectors and other ethnic nationalities.

The governor charged the task force to ensure religious leaders in their various council areas stop crowd that is more than 20 persons at a time while conducting their services.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, disclosed that the 37 persons, apart from the driver of the dead American who had tested positive to coronavirus, were currently in self-isolation in the state.

“Medical history has shown that people coming from highly endemic countries like China, England, Italy and America were the ones importing the disease to Nigeria.

“In Italy, about 793 persons died in a day and 600 the subsequent day. Today, over 5, 000 have died in that country. We pray this doesn’t happen in Ekiti and that is why we must take precautions.

“The governor, as a way of curtailing the infection, banned burials, weddings, political and family meetings, church services and other congregations that are more than 20, but sad enough some people are still flouting the order.

“Despite the way the disease had rava ged China and Italy, they are gradually overcoming it because their citizens are obeying all orders,” she said. (NAN)