The Ondo State Government has on Wednesday cancelled the crossover service scheduled to hold at midnight of January 1, 2021, in churches across the state over fears of the second wave of COVID-19 in the state.
The government also postponed the resumption of pupils in primary and secondary schools from Monday, January 4, 2020, to January 18, 2020.
The Chairman, Ondo State Inter-Ministerial Committee on Coronavirus, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi made the declaration while speaking with journalists in Akure, the state capital. He said the decision of the government was to prevent the second wave of the virus from spreading across the state.
According to him, the committee had had extensive interaction with various stakeholders, physically and virtually, on the need to take proactive measures against the second wave of COVID-19.
He said the state was working assiduously to ensure it records no substantial case during the second wave of the pandemic, imploring the people to pay due attention and observance to the precautionary measures put in place to safeguard them.
Fatusi said, “No church service organized in respect of the new year celebration must exceed 10pm until further notice, in line with federal government directive on curfew.
“The government and business offices shall continue to open with strict compliance of COVID-19 precautionary measures; no primary or secondary school in the State shall resume until 18th of January, 2021, markets shall continue operations but with heightened enforcement of COVID-19 precautionary measures.
“Night clubs and relaxation spots must not operate beyond 10pm; picnics can operate but in open space and adherence to COVID-19 protocols; while anybody above 60 years of age or with existing ailment(s) are strongly advised to remain indoor and disengage from joining any social gathering.”
Fatusi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, said the government would begin to carry out strict monitoring of all the guidelines, adding that it would also continue to interact with religious leaders, markets associations, media, unions, and other critical stakeholders in the fight against the pandemic.
The chairman declared that the enforcement would commence by January 1, 2021, the strict enforcement of the law that guides against the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in the state would also begin on that day.
“The law provides for three months imprisonment or payment of N20, 000 fine or both for offenders,” he stated.