Clement Adeyi, Osogbo, Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure and Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

Osun Government, yesterday, disclosed that the state is expecting 56 COVID-19 test results from the laboratory out of the 127 returnees from Cote D’Ivoire that had been placed in isolation in Ejigbo. 

It was gathered that 12 had tested positive with three  and nine cases confirmed on Tuesday and yesterday respectively by the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC).

This was disclosed at a press conference jointly addressed in Osogbo by the Commissioner for Health, Rafiu Isamotu and the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan.

“Out of the 71 results that we have received, three cases first tested positive, while another nine positive results came today (yesterday). We are still expecting the results of other 56,” Isamotu said.

The commissioner also disclosed that the state had three isolation centres where suspected cased had been isolated.

He, however, said not all the returnees who were escorted to Osun by the Ogun State Government were citizens of the state.

“Some of them are from Oyo, Kwara, Edo, Delta and Anambra. It was during the sampling that we discovered that not all of them are citizens of Osun.

Isamotu also disclosed that military and police personnel had been deployed to mount surveillance at the Cote D’Ivoire returnee isolation centre in Ejigbo.

He, however, debunked report that close relations of the returnees had been passing food items and relief materials to them through the fence, as security officers are always on the alert to guide against such illegality and misdemeanour.

While appealing to the people to endure the hardship during the period of the lockdown which took effect in the state, yesterday, Omipidan said: “We delayed the lockdown to ensure workers were paid their salaries before the commencement of total lockdown.”

He, however, appealed to the Federal Government to come to the aid of the state as well as other states in the drive to battle the pandemic.

Omipidan also commended the people for demonstrating loyalty by complying with the stay-at-home order by the government.

He assured them of proactive measures by government to address the coronavirus crisis to protect the people against the malady.

Security operatives, including police and civil defence officers mounted roadblocks, while others were on patrol to enforce the movement restriction order by the government.

Ondo begins fumigation of markets, motor parks

Ondo State Government, yesterday began the fumigation of all markets, motor parks and other public places across the state, as part of efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had, on Tuesday, ordered the immediate fumigation of public places across the state.

This, the governor said, was part of proactive measures to checkmate the spread of the deadly disease to the state.

The fumigation was carried out by a Committee on Sanitation and Traffic Rules, led by Commissioner for Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene, Yetunde Adeyanju.

Adeyanju explained that the company handling the fumigation, ZL Global Alliance, has demonstrated competence and is doing a good job for the safety of the people.

The commissioner added that the fumigation exercise, which commenced from the popular motor park on Ondo Road and Adedeji markets (Oja Oba) on Oba Adesida Road in the state capital, would continue at Ikare, Ondo, Ore, Igbokoda, Igbara-Oke, Owo and other major towns.

During the exercise, all gutters around the markets were also desilted to further ensure that all the places are made clean and safe for human habitation.

Markets had earlier been shut indefinitely as part of measures to prevent spread of the COVID-19.

Oyedepo donates ambulance, medical equipment to Lagos, Ogun

presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church, David Oyedepo, has donated medical equipment and supplies to the Lagos and Ogun states to support their efforts in equipping medical staff with necessary protective gears needed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

The donated items include two Toyota ambulances (one for each state), disposable face masks, hand sanitizers, latex hand gloves, personal protection device (PPE) and pulse oximetre.

Other items include, blood pressure monitors, infrared thermometers and multi-parameter monitors.

Presenting the items to the state government at the Lagos House in Marina, Special Assistant to Bishop Oyedepo, Pastor Steve Ogah, said the state-of-the-art ambulance has the capacity for first aid, test and treatment of those infected or on emergency resulting from the infection.

He said the Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners Chapel) was concerned that the pandemic has reached dangerous dimensions, with a spike in infection numbers around the world, and inevitable adverse effects on the global economy and on virtually all areas of human endeavour.

“Living Faith Church as a faith-based organisation with a global outreach wishes to register its support, in entirety, to the Nigerian government and global efforts to win the war against this unseen but common enemy of mankind,” he said.

Quoting Bishop Oyedepo, Ogah said the church would continue to render medical, material and spiritual support to the government and the people to ensure the situation in Nigeria does not explode or become intractable.

Likewise, the church also presented similar items to the Ogun State Government, which was handed over by Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr to aid the state combat the pandemic.

Roads deserted, shops closed as Osun goes on lockdown

Businesses, markets and shops in Osogbo, Osun State capital, were locked yesterday as residents complied with the lockdown directive of the government as a measure of preventing spread of coronavirus pandemic.

Governor Gboyega Oyetola had, on Sunday, announced that the state would go on total lockdown after two cases of coronavirus were reported in the state.

The cases later rose to five on Tuesday.

Oyetola reaffirmed the commitment to shut down land boundaries effective from midnight, Sunday, March 29, with the total lockdown of the state from midnight, Tuesday, March 31.

While going round to observe the level of compliance with the lockdown directive, it was observed that many petrol stations, though exempted from the lockdown, were not open.

Commercial motor parks were equally locked in Osogbo even as the police and other security personnel mounted roadblocks in several areas.