Following the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ondo State, the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ has called on Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to as a matter of urgency lockdown the state for 14 days.
The union emphasized that the measure will enable the government carry out effective contact tracing and deploy more combative efforts both from the state and federal government.
According to the union in a statement issued on Friday, the NUJ expressed concern on the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases and related deaths in the state and attributed it to the lack of implementation of COVID-19 guidelines by the state government.
In the statement signed by the State Chairman of the Union, Comrade Adetona Aderoboye and the State Secretary, Comrade Leke Adegbite, the spike of the deadly virus in the state became evident following the lifting of ban on religious gathering in the state.
While sympathizing with Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on his COVID-19 status and on the death of his Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro, urged that the current health crisis in the state be urgently attended to.
The statement partly reads “The Union’s Preliminary findings from its members who on the field show that the state government was well on top of the situation of fighting the disease until three weeks ago when the government ordered the reopening of religious centres; while poor enforcement of 7pm to 7am dust to dawn curfew as well as total violation of precautionary measures at all markets, hotels, relaxation centres in the state without penalties against defaulters are other factors.
“The Union also observes that despite the State government’s commendable distribution of nose masks to a reasonable number of people in the state, the compulsory use of the same was unfortunately not enforced at public places.”
“The Union also observes that despite the State government’s commendable distribution of nose masks to a reasonable number of people in the state, the compulsory use of the same was unfortunately not enforced at public places.”