REVIEWED EKITI STATE DIRECTIVES ON #COVID19
* Commencing from tomorrow, June 1, 2020, Ekiti people will now be able to go about their daily activities from Monday to Friday, 6 am to 8 pm in the evening. For the avoidance of doubt, the dusk to dawn curfew will daily resume at 8 pm till 5: 59 am of the following morning.
* Ekiti State public officers on Grade Level 8 and above are to resume for duty from June 1, 2020, while those on Level 7 and below are to remain at home for now.
* Existing restrictions on human and vehicular movement would continue to be observed in accordance with existing regulations contained in the Ekiti State Coronavirus Disease (Prevention of Infection), Regulations 2020.
* For now, Ekiti boundaries will remain on complete lockdown daily pending further review at national level.
* Government is considering reopening the major markets to permanent shop owners, after the outcome of the engagement process that is ongoing on the relocation of roadside traders to the available alternative markets being prepared for them. The reopening will be subject to compliance with specific conditions and protocols that are being determined.
* Similarly, government appreciates the impact of the continued stay at home of our children, therefore, effort is ongoing to reopen the schools as soon as the committee set up to appraise the protocols, resources, conditions and modalities for reopening has concluded its work.
* As part of steps leading to the reopening of the schools, I have directed the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to commence a stakeholders’ engagement, including teachers, parents, vendors, school administrators and school owners, immediately, for a common position on the best way to manage the situation. This is without prejudice to what may be decided subsequently at the national level in respect of school reopening.
* A similar committee will be engaging with the religious organisations to fashion out a workable protocol that will enable the religious houses to reopen very soon without jeopardising the lives and health of worshippers.
* I like to reiterate that the ban on social gathering on account of religious, educational, political or any reasons whatsoever, remains in force until the ongoing consultations are concluded.
Ekiti Kete, as we enter another phase in the fight against the invisible but lethal enemy, there is, even now, a greater demand on all of us to take personal responsibility. While government will not shirk its responsibility of ensuring the lives of the people are protected, we cannot afford to be complacent or fatalistic about the pandemic. We have been fortunate so far not to have experienced mass infections and fatalities as seen in other parts of the world where medical know-how, technology and resources are much better, but we should not stretch our luck beyond the elastic limit by being complacent, especially now that more people will be tested in Ekiti State.
We must never trivialise the danger that COVID-19 continues to pose to us. We must ensure we do not have a reversal of fortune. We cannot afford a community infection that could easily overwhelm our medical capacity and return us to another round of stay-at-home with even more stringent measures.
I therefore want to reiterate that the protocols about personal hygiene, hand-washing, use of alcohol-based hand-sanitizer, physical and social distancing, use of face masks must continue to be observed, while our state boundaries remain shut. Our public transport operators must continue to comply with the protocols guiding their operations. Government will be very hard on offenders, because to whom much is given much is expected.
As I conclude this broadcast, I would like to express my immense appreciation to our frontline medical personnel, taskforce team, security agents and the general public. We are also indebted to the esteemed Members of the COVID-19 Response Resource Mobilisation Committee (RRMC), under the chairmanship of Prince Julius Adeluyi-Adelusi for their tremendous contribution to the fight. We owe them immeasurable appreciation for the procurement of the Mobile Molecular Laboratory and other critical interventions that the Committee has provided.
We also grateful to the Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID), under the chairmanship of Alhaji Aliko Dangote for their contribution and donation to the State. We also appreciate the great work being done by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the hardworking team at the National Centre for Disease Control, under the leadership of Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu.
We are deeply thankful to those who have donated money and material resources as well as those who have volunteered their property for use as isolation centres. We appreciate those who have volunteered information about those sneaking into the state, this kind of information has saved the state the possibility of community transmission as two of such cases turned out to be infected persons. We need to remain more vigilant than ever and to continue to be watchful.
Thank you all, may we all see the end of this COVID-19 pandemic. It is my prayer that none of us shall be missing when it is time for the victory song.
His Excellency
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON
Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria
Ado, Ekiti –Sunday, May 31, 2020
