Oyo State government has embarked on some preventive measures against the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) at its parastatals, such as Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board and Oyo State Road Transport Maintenance Agency, in Ibadan.
Earlier on Friday, the chairman of Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Adeniran, distributed over 1500 hand sanitizers to staff members and guests at the board.
Speaking during the distribution exercise, he said the measures would help keep away coronavirus among staff members of the board, while he called on visitors, staff members and other stakeholders to adhere strictly to precautionary measures to safeguard themselves.
“We call on everyone to please remain alert and calm during work hours, and please kindly adhere strictly to our precautionary methods to safeguard us,” he said.
Adeniran added that the new measures would ensure that incoming visitors at the board were sanitized properly, before they were attended to.
He said high level of hygienic procedures should be followed at the board as a preventive measure.
He affirmed that the board had taken proactive steps to ensure pupils in public primary schools were safe from the virus, adding that the state government was striving to curtail the spread of coronavirus pandemic in schools and the public.
Therefore, he called on teachers and parents in the state to ensure pupils under their care maintained basic hygiene steps as preventive measure by washing their hands regularly and that they played safe.
Meanwhile, following the spread of coronavirus pandemic across the country, Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority, OYRTMA, has begun full enforcement of Operation-one-passenger, which mandates commercial motorcyclists to carry one passenger.
The enforcement exercise also prohibits commercial cab drivers from transporting more than a passenger in front seats, while tricycle riders are not expected to take any passenger in front seats.
The chairman, OYRTMA, Dr. Akin Fagbemi, posited that the enforcement became necessary considering the rapid spread of the virus, adding that the exercise would mitigate the easy spread of the deadly coronavirus.
He said “as a government agency in charge of transportation of goods and services across the state, it is not only imperative we make this move to prevent avoidable road crashes, but also to reduce body contacts and exchange of body fluids which aids the easy transmission of this deadly virus.”
Speaking with stakeholders, Dr. Fagbemi enjoined them to brace up, take proactive and stringent steps to curb the spread of COVID-19, by sensitizing commercial vehicle owners on the need to take precautionary measures such as the use of protective hand gloves, nose covers and crash helmets.
