Osun State Government will from Monday, May 4, 2020, relaxed the lockdown order introduced in the state to curb the spread of coronavirus as it replaces the order with a dusk to dawn curfew.
In a statewide broadcast by the Governor Adegboyega Oyetola on Thursday night to the people of the state, Oyetola said the lockdown which expired Thursday midnight is extended to Sunday, May 3, 2020.
He added that dusk to dawn curfew would commence effective from Monday to Thursday, while lockdown would be in place from every Thursday through Sunday.
The Governor said, “Effective from Monday, 4th May 2020, the following rules shall be enforced: “There shall be partial lockdown between 6 am and 5 pm from Monday to Thursday to enable the people to go about their businesses and allow the government to run. However, total lockdown shall be in force from 6 pm on Thursday to Sunday.
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“There shall also be a dusk to dawn curfew from 6 pm – 6 am from Monday to Thursday until further notice. Movement of vehicle and persons is outlawed during the period of the curfew except for verified medical emergency cases and those on essential duties.
“Also, the ban on public, religious, political and educational gatherings remains in force. Additionally, all major markets shall remain shut.
“Citizens must observe such protocols as social distancing, hand-washing and wearing of masks at all times in public places. Defaulters shall be sanctioned accordingly.
“Businesses are expected to provide liquid soap and running water and hand sanitisers, while supermarkets should not have more than 10 persons at any time in their store. Inter-state travels are forbidden and as such, our boundaries remain closed.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there shall be no vehicular and human movement into and out of the State except trucks carrying medicals, beverages, foods, petroleum, construction and agriculture supplies. These supply vehicles shall not carry more than 3 persons.
“Intra-city commercial transportation will be permitted to work from Monday to Thursday every week from 6 am to 5 pm, but they are required to adhere to strict social distancing directives.
Commercial vehicles, that is: buses and taxis shall carry two passengers per row with each passenger sitting at the extreme end of the vehicle. While commercial motorcycles (Okada) shall carry one passenger, tricycles shall carry not more than 2 passengers and no passenger in front.
“Violators of the aforementioned directives will be prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the State.
‘Any facility or establishment that violates the above directives will be shut down and any vehicle caught in violation will be forfeited to the State Government.
“Government will continue to intensify efforts at COVID-19 testing so as to be able to deal with the pandemic as quickly as possible.
“Officers and staff on Grade Level 12 and above, Administrative Officers irrespective of their grade levels, those on essential services and those whose services may be required by the Accounting Officers are to report at their desks, Monday to Thursday at the usual working hours. They must adhere strictly to the protocols of the NCDC”.
Governor Oyetola added that the review became necessary in a bid to curb community transmission of the virus, adding that the state would intensify test to completely defeat the deadly pandemic.
