Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

Ondo State government on Friday threatened to impose another round of lockdown should there be an increase in the number of those infected with COVID-19.

The state has recorded four deaths and discharged 21 patients, while eight patients are currently receiving treatment at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Akure.

This is even as the state government said it is already searching for over160 persons who might have come in contact with three new confirmed cases in the state.

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties and Strategies, Dr Doyin Odebowale, gave hint of a lockdown while monitoring the jumat service in Owo.

Odebowale said in many of the mosques visited, social distancing was not thoroughly observed, adding however that worshippers without nose masks were not allowed entry.

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He said the state government was not happy with the rising case of COVID-19 in the state.

He stated that the COVID-19 committee will meet with Muslim leaders in the state to enlighten them more on the need to observe all precautionary measures guiding COVID-19.

“We have been engaging the leadership and we hope there will be an improvement. We expect them to improve on their activities. There was not much social distancing in the mosques and we are not satisfied.

“We will get in touch with the leadership of the Muslim community. We are getting more cases and we are not happy. We don’t want a situation where the government locks down the state again. If it continues, the government will lock down the state.”

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro, said the compliance level was about 60 percent.

Dr. Adegbenro urged individuals to help stop the spread of COVID-19.