COVID-19: Ekiti govt imposes curfew, limits public gathering to 20 people

The Ekiti State Government has imposed an indefinite night curfew and a ban on large crowds in the state to check the spread of COVID-19.

The government said the curfew would take effect on Monday, January 11 and would be from 8.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m.

This was disclosed on Sunday evening in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Akinbowale Omole, in Ado Ekiti.

He said the decision of the government is necessary to secure the citizens from falling prey to the second wave of the pandemic that has claimed thousands of lives across the world and over a hundred in the past few weeks in Nigeria.

The commissioner also explained that defaulters of the order must be able to prove that they are on essential services.

“There is also a ban on all public gatherings of more than twenty people while Covid-19 prevention protocol should be strictly observed even in such gatherings.”

Speaking on religious activities, he said the government allows for two services to take place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday accordingly and that all these services should not extend beyond 2.00 pm on such days.

“All worship centres are expected to provide necessary facilities for hand washing, soap, and hand sanitizer at the entrance and infra-red thermometers to take worshippers’ temperature before they are allowed in for service.”

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“The State Covid-19 Response Committee put in place by Ekiti State Government and other relevant enforcement agencies would be going round to ensure compliance with these directives and any person or group of persons caught violating the guidelines put in place to curtail the pandemic in the state will be prosecuted and sanctioned accordingly.”

He further called both political leaders and traditional leaders not only to obey Covid prevention protocols themselves but also to monitor compliance and report any violation to the Covid-19 Response Taskforce promptly.

“Ekiti State Government will continue to do all within its power to ensure that this second wave of the pandemic does not have a foothold in the state,” he said.