Amid growing concerns over the Coronavirus pandemic, the Government of Oyo State has declared an emergency by ordering the immediate closure of schools and the inauguration of emergency operation centres, among other measures.
Governor Seyi Makinde, who addressed newsmen late on Friday, after the inaugural meeting of the State’s COVID-19 Task Force, held at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, said that schools in the state would remain closed till after Easter.
The governor also declared that the state remained fully committed to the prevention, curtailment and control of the disease.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor equally declared that the suspected case of the virus, which sample was sent from Ibadan to the National Reference Centre for South-West at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos, was negative.
The governor stated that there was still no confirmed case of Coronavirus in the state, adding that the government would do everything within its powers to see that no life was lost to the pandemic.
According to him, people in the state should not panic about the disease but constantly observe hygienic practices as prescribed by medical experts.
The governor said: “On the case of the individual that was tested, the result came back and turned out to be negative. So, as of this moment, we still do not have any confirmed case of Coronavirus in Oyo State.
“Let me also state that we are committed to the prevention, curtailment, and control of the Coronavirus disease in Oyo State. We will be giving you daily updates on what we are doing. As the Head of the Oyo State Task Force on COVID-19 and Head of the Oyo State Government, I give you my word that we are going to do everything within our power to see that no life is lost in this pandemic.”
Governor Makinde, who stated that the schools would remain closed till after the Easter break, said that the government would use the period of the forced break to evaluate the situation and put protective system in place in the schools.
He also said that the government would ensure a proper evaluation of the situation before resumption.
He said: “Schools will only resume after we have done a proper evaluation of the situation. If it is for schools to remain closed until even after Easter, we will come back and let people know, but, as for this moment, schools are going to be closed.”
He declared that as part of immediate efforts to curtail and/or control the Coronavirus pandemic from the state, the government will activate Emergency Operation Centres and a Diagnostic Centre in the next two days, adding that the Maternal and Paediatrics Centre, Olodo, Ibadan, had been re-designated as the State Infectious Disease Hospital.
According to the governor, two ambulances would be on standby to attend to cases of Coronavirus suspects, even as he noted that Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, DSNOs, located in all the 33 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas had continued their surveillance activities.
The governor maintained that the state would heighten the ongoing enlightenment on the COVID-19, activate wash centres in the markets and public places and also procure personal protective gears for the state’s health workers as quickly as possible.
Governor Makinde, who warned politicians to quit playing politics with the Coronavirus situation by trying to unnecessarily milk the Unification Rally held by the PDP, noted that it was now a serious challenge that would take the concerted efforts of everyone to overcome.
He added: “Some people may still be upset about the rally we held here some days ago but, I want to state again that, if the information we have at our disposal now had come a few hours prior, the rally would not have held.
“This is a serious issue and a big challenge, which I don’t expect people to play politics with. We have been at the Task Force meeting and we have tasked ourselves to immediately close the gaps wherever they have been identified. I will be receiving briefing almost on an hourly basis until some of these tasks that we have just listed are achieved.
“The Commissioner for Health has been asked to immediately provide a check-list of whatever we need and we have also put the Accountant-General of the state on alert, because we will make emergency purchases where necessary, even during the weekend.
“We know this is a challenging period as far as the economy is concerned and it is not just about Nigeria or Oyo State. The world economy is going into, if not already, a tailspin at the moment. However, this concerns human life. We will reprioritise. If we had budgeted money for infrastructure, some of that money would be taken back and put into fighting this pandemic. So, we will do everything and spend any amount to keep our people alive.”
Responding to questions from newsmen, Governor Makinde maintained that the state would make the closure of worship centres and religious gatherings voluntary, noting, however, that churches, mosques and other religious centres would be strongly advised not to have more than 50 people gathered in the same place at once.
“For the worship centres, we will make it voluntary for them. We will advise them strongly that they can face their worship but we don’t want more than 50 people in a particular place at the same time. We know that religious leaders are with us on this and they will also do everything possible to ensure that our people are kept safe. But whether they will close the centres or not will be voluntary for them.”
The governor stated that with the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic already threatening federal allocation, the aim of state to develop its local economy such that it would not have to depend on federal allocations remained on course, saying: “We are not there yet, as we are still on that trajectory. Whatever we get right now, we will find means to engage everybody. But in the medium to the long term, we have to diversify our economy so that we stop being dependent.”
