Fayemi Inaugurates Enforcement Task Force

In order to ensure compliance with executive orders issued by the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, outlawing gatherings of more than 20 persons in the state, a task force was yesterday inaugurated to enforce the directives to forestall the spread of the contagious COVID-19.

It was also disclosed that 37 out of 42 persons suspected to have had direct contacts with the dead American who allegedly imported the disease to the state had been identified and put under solitary confinement.

Members of the committee include 16 council chairmen, Nigeria army, Department of State Services (DSS), police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), traders, Ekiti State environmental inspectors and other ethnic nationalities.

Inaugurating the committee, Fayemi, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Gbenga Agbeyo, said the government was not particularly happy about the way the order banning congregation of more than 20 people was being defied.

Terms of reference to be executed, according to the governor, are: “To ensure that all private and public schools in the state are closed; no gathering of more than 20 persons anywhere in the state; all public transport carries the required number of people and ensure that all market men and women practice hand washing in their shops.”

The governor charged the chairmen to prevail on the religious leaders in their council areas to stop huge crowd while conducting their services.

Also speaking, the commissioner revealed that the 37 persons, apart from the driver of the dead American, who had been tested positive to COVID-19, are experiencing self-isolation in the state.

“Medical history had shown that people coming from highly endemic countries like China, England, Italy and America were the ones importing the disease to Nigeria.

“In Italy, about 793 persons died in a day and 600 the subsequent day. Today, over 5,000 have died in that country. We pray this doesn’t happen in Ekiti State and that is why we must take precautions,” she said.