As part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID19 in the state during the second wave of the pandemic, the Ekiti state government has imposed a curfew from 8.00 pm to 6.00 am and as well banned all gatherings of more than twenty people in the state until further notice. These restrictions take effect Monday 6 am January 11, 2021.
The Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Akinbowale Omole, announced these new guidelines in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, January 10. Omole said there is a need for the government to be proactive and take decisive steps to secure the citizens from falling prey to the second wave of the pandemic that has claimed thousands of lives all over the world recently.
He urged the people to continue to observe the Covid-19 protocols strictly and also abide by the curfew and new restrictions placed on public gatherings by the State Government.
Omole added that the curfew placed throughout the State from 8.00 pm to 6.00 am will be strictly enforced except for those that can prove that they are on essential services. According to the Commissioner, 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.
He stated that, to allow faithful to observe their religious worships, 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. He re-emphasized that all worship centres are expected to provide necessary facilities for hand washing, soap, and hand sanitiser at the entrance and infra-red thermometers to take worshippers’ temperature before they are allowed in for service.
He added that 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.