Event attendees must be vaccinated to access venues in Edo State

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the government will, by mid-september 2020, enforce the directive on denial of access to large gatherings in public and private places in the state for persons who choose not to be inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccines. Obaseki, who spoke to journalists in Benin City, said his administration remains committed to ensuring the health and safety of citizens and will explore every option available for the protection of the best interests of Edo people. He noted that the government will proceed with the enforcement of the ‘no vaccination card, no access to large gatherings’ in the state, despite the order by a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, directing the government to maintain the status quo on the purported ‘compulsory vaccination’ of its citizens with the COVID-19 vaccine. He said: “We want to reiterate that our directives on vaccination stands and so people who are planning social, religious, political or business events after the second week of September should ensure that both themselves and their guests are not only vaccinated but possess vaccination cards as proof of vaccination, as anyone without this proof, will not be granted access to crowded facilities. “We also want to stress that the government is commencing intensive enforcement of use of Non-pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIS) to curb the current spike in COVID-19 infections and deaths. These measures include compulsory wearing of facemasks, regular washing of hands under running water and/or use of hand sanitisers, and maintenance of recommended social and physical distancing in public places, among others.”