The Ekiti State Government has commenced a weekly awareness programme on radio to enlighten the public on the need to adhere to Coronavirus safety protocols, while giving updates on government efforts to curb the spread of the virus in the State.
The programme, tagged; ‘Ekiti COVID-19 Updates’, is broadcast live on three local radio stations; Ekiti FM 91.5, Ayoba FM 95.1, and Voice FM 89.9 every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 to 11am and is supported by the State COVID19 Response Resource Mobilisation Committee headed by Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi; and Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) as Grand Patron.
According to the Senior Special Assistant to Ekiti State Governor on Public Affairs, Chief Niyi Ojo, the programme’s core objective is to ensure Ekiti residents are duly informed on the spread, management and prevention of COVID -19 in the state.
“It is the duty of the government to constantly remind the people of Ekiti State on the need to abide by safety rules against the spread of COVID19. We must understand that these simple measures such as; wearing of face masks, regular hand washing, and social distancing goes a long way in curbing the community spread of the virus,” he said.
The SSA, while speaking to the public on radio, highlighted some of the government’s policies and interventions designed to safeguard the people of the state, while providing access to quality healthcare during and post-COVID19.
He mentioned that Ekiti State Government, in a bid to ensure the safety of students, distributed protective materials such as; disinfectants, infrared thermometers, sprayers, soaps, Veronica buckets, and alcohol-based hand sanitizers for the prevention of the spread of Coronavirus and other communicable diseases to all public schools ahead of the reopening of secondary schools to students writing the West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
He continued that the government, through the Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service (EKIRS), introduced tax relief and incentives for taxpayers and businesses to help cushion the effects of the pandemic on the people of the State.
Speaking further, Chief Niyi explained that new markets were opened to decongest major markets in order to promote social distancing among the people, while mentioning that the state government commissioned a mobile laboratory to facilitate COVID-19 testing in the state which has lead to the discovery of community spread of the virus.
Earlier, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mrs Mary Oso-Omotosho emphasised on the need for the people to take responsibility on ensuring personal hygiene, while clarifying that social and religious gathering are only allowed when COVID19 safety protocols are duly adhered to.
She mentioned that the Ekiti State COVID19 Taskforce has deployed a Monitoring Team to ensure churches, mosques, schools, Supermarkets, and other public facilities adopt safety protocols.
“Recently, the Taskforce sealed some supermarkets, pharmacies and public facilities for violating COVID19 safety guidelines. This is a clear indication that the government takes the safety of the people seriously. We are at a stage where community spreading is on the rise in the state and the government is doing everything possible to curb the spread of the virus.
“Community testing has revealed so much about the state of health of many residents in Ekiti and this has spurred the government into taking serious actions to improving the quality of healthcare delivery in the state. The Governor Fayemi led administration has ensured training and retraining of staff in the health sector, while providing facilities to boost service delivery,” she said.
She however encouraged the people of the state to dismiss rumours or misinformation on Coronavirus, urging them to observe government directives to stay safe.
Some residents, during phone-in session, commended the efforts of the government while imploring the Taskforce to look into areas necessary for improvement.
On current statistics, there are presently 99 active cases, 122 discharged and 4 deaths which makes a total of 225 cases in the state.
Last modified: August 26, 2020