As the measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus disease, the Ondo State Government has ordered the closure of all schools in the state indefinitely.
The order which took effect from Friday, March 20, 2020, affected all primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
The state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, made this announcement at the statewide broadcast on Thursday evening.
According to the governor, the order was necessary to prevent the spread of the disease among the pupils and students.
He said,
“This measure is to harvest our children into the safety net for proper monitoring and care.
There is no doubt that this global pandemic poses a real challenge to all nations, yet if we all collaborate effectively, we will overcome it successfully.“One major advantage that our state has is the experience and expertise we have developed over the years from our fight against Lassa fever and other infections.
“We believe this will place us in good stead at this critical period. It is therefore important for members of the public to remain calm, avoid panic and spreading of inaccurate information.”
Akeredolu called on residents of the state to obey and observe the simple, time tested and internationally accepted precautionary measures to fight the deadly viral disease
“We urge us all to fully embrace the handwashing exercise at every interval of our daily activities. We must avoid handshaking and unnecessary social embrace. We must reduce or where possible, postpone, until further notice, ceremonies and other social gatherings.
“We urge us to avoid staying in overcrowded areas and avoid any unnecessary travels outside the state.”
He stressed the need to engage in improved self and family hygiene as well as mobilise “our community service providers including traders, drivers, butchers, bank workers, health workers to make use of face mask to cover the mouth and the nose when engaging in their daily activities. ”
He further disclosed that the government had set up a high-level inter-ministerial committee to coordinate the state’s response to the COVID-19 challenge.
He said the committee was chaired by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro and had members cutting across relevant institutions and MDAS in the state.
“The main term of reference of this committee is to activate, coordinate and drive the state response protocols. The committee will engage all stakeholders and explore all means possible to curtail the threat of covid-19,” he stated.
