Coronavirus: Ogun state government rescinds order on total lockdown, re-introduces 48 hours window relaxation

The Ogun State Government has rescinded its earlier order of total lockdown for two weeks,and re-introduced   48 hours window of relaxation for the residents throughout the period earmarked for the exercise.

Penpushing reports that, the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun made this known at a press conference on Friday  held at his private residence in Iperu town, as another round of two weeks of the exercise commences on Saturday, explaining that the window of relaxation covers between the hours of 7am and 2pm on each of these days

‘Ogun State residents will have a window of relaxation from the renewed 14-day lockdown in the State will be Monday (20th April), Wednesday (22nd April) and Friday (24th April, 2020). The period of relaxation will be between the hours of 7am and 2pm on each of these days’, he said.

‘This means that citizens are expected to remain indoors tomorrow Saturday, April 18, 2020; Sunday, April 19, 2020; Tuesday, April 21, 2020 and Thursday, April 23rd, 2020 as period of the lockdown’.

‘Let me also re-emphasise that while the window of relaxation is being observed, all interstate and international borders of our dear State will remain closed. As usual, all personnel on essential services will be given access to perform their duties. This window of relaxation of the lockdown will be reviewed from time to time’.

‘I enjoin our people to scrupulously spend the window periods to restock on food items and conduct essential businesses during the period of the extended lockdown. We must understand that we cannot afford to be complacent or lower our guards, even as we maintain this delicate balance between people’s welfare and healthcare’

The Governor said he was elated that, between Wednesday and Thursday this week, three additional individuals have been given a clean bill of health and discharged from one of the Isolation Centres to join their families and resume their normal life, thus bringing the total number of discharged individuals to six.

‘This means that presently, we have only 3 active cases and they are being treated by our doctors and other healthcare workers in one of our Isolation and Treatment Centres. As a Government and people, we are thankful to God and the professionalism of our health workers’.

Penpushing further reports that, the Governor said, as part of  of concerted efforts to curb further transmission of the virus, the government had  strengthened its tracing process, adding that, so far, ‘we have identified 210 persons who had contacts with the positive cases, out of which 110 underwent the required 14 days quarantine period’

‘. Only 2 of this number tested positive, the remaining 108 tested negatives on completion of the quarantine period. 100 others are however still observing the quarantine period and are being observed and monitored by our specialist doctors and other healthcare workers’.

‘We thank God,  Ogun State has been able to manage the pandemic effectively so far and surpassed the global average for tested cases and transmission. The global average is 1 positive case to 3 new infections. In our case, it is 1 positive case to 1 new infection. But, even with the relatively lower number of positive and active cases, we will leave no stone unturned to prevent further infection, spread and death from the dreaded virus. By the grace of God, we will record a zero number of cases soonest’.

Penpushing also reports that, Abiodun disclosed that, the government had just installed the first State fully-funded Molecular Lab in the country at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, and awaiting the accreditation of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for it to commence full operation, assuring that, a second Molecular laboratory, donated to the state, will arrive next week.

‘In addition to that, our Administration has also finalized arrangements for the deployment of drive-through testing facilities across the State, particularly around the vulnerable areas such as our border communities with other states to stem community transmission into Ogun State. This will significantly boost our efforts to test individuals with suspected symptoms and ensure that we have one-day return of test results for anyone suspected of having COVID-19 symptoms in the State’.

‘It is noteworthy that the first phase of the distribution of our relief palliatives benefitted not less than 60,000 households, approximating 300,000 individuals has been successfully completed. We have learnt some lessons from that experience and these will guide the next phase that will benefit additional 80,000 households of about 400,000 individuals, comprising of the elderly, the poor and vulnerable. This is an on-going process that will ultimately reach 500,000 households or 3 million individuals’.

The Governor noted that,it is worrisome that at this critical time of a global pandemic, some individuals and groups would still play politics with lives of the people and public safety by concocting, fabricating and circulating misleading and mischievous stories and videos with sinister motive to undermine the efforts to flatten the curve of the coronavirus and the palliatives meant to cushion the effect of the lockdown on our people.

‘This is uncharitable and inhuman, to say the least. Going forward, such misinformation capable of inciting the public and causing breach of peace will be met with the full weight of the law. In the same vein, I have news for those who may want to take advantage of the current situation to perpetrate any form of crime or criminality. Ogun State has zero tolerance for crimes’.

‘And if you test our will, the government and the security agencies will be swift in appending you and severe in bringing you to justice. I call on parents and guardians to ensure the conduct and activities of their children and wards are in consonance with law, public morality and order.

‘The Government of Ogun State wishes to reassure the people of our dear State that there is no need for panic. Our medical and other health professionals are already on top of the situation. Ogun State Government will continue to update the people on any development on the issue.