….Govt. set to enforce mask law
By Joe Adedeji, Ilorin
Kwara State government has explained the reason behind the seeming rising figures of COVID-19 in the state just as it will commence going tough on people not wearing masks from this Friday.
Addressing a press conference in Ilorin, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor: Rafiu Ajakaiye
Saud it was a good thing that Kwara State government now has a fully equipped COVID-19 Test Centre.
The development he said makes it possible to test people and get results within hours as against the practice earlier in the year when samples would have to be taken to far away Ibadan, Oyo State, Ede in Osun and at times Lagos
The old experience he said slowed down getting results, costly and denied the system of having the benefit of going out to fish out infected persons and rapidly attend to the cases.
Besides he said people are now more educated on the dire need to help straighten the curves of the pandemic to the extent that people now freely walk up to the COVID-19 Technical Committe office to surrender themselves for tests when they observe some symptoms.
Meanwhile, as from Friday, July 24, wearing of masks all over the state has become compulsory y the government promising to deal with offenders appropriately, according to Ajakaiye.
Also, government had said it would henceforth decisively ensure that enforcement of the protocols of COVID-19 is done to the letter including safe/social distancing, using sanitizers, washing of hands with soap and running water as well as banning social gatherings, club houses and drinking joints.
Others include limited number of passengers in commercial motor vehicles, tricycles, motor cycles who risk arrest and prosecution in the event of violations in accordance with the provision of the Kwara State Infectious Diseases Regulations Act of
In addition, government plans to meet with the leadership of the Muslim community on Wednesday July 22nd to discuss the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha — a period of mass gathering and celebration —and agree on the safest way to curb further spread of the virus, Ajakaiye said
He enjoined the citizens to follow the suit of the governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq a d his Deputy; Kayode Alabi by going for tests and surrender themselves for treatment where they test positive stressing that that should be done in offices and big organisations.
Ajakaye had said; “As at yesterday Sunday July 19th, we have recorded 585 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Out of this, 367 are active while 204 had since been successfully managed and discharged to rejoin their families. We have also recorded 14 deaths so far.
“While testing of more samples has played a key role in the spike of the figures, the truth is that most of our people are simply not complying with safety measures put in place including physical distancing and the use of face mask despite the earlier mass production and distribution of masks.