Nigeria news : Coronavirus: Ogun becomes first state in Nigeria to ban mass gatherings

Nigeria news : Coronavirus: Ogun becomes first state in Nigeria to ban mass gatherings, Ogun State Government has announced immediate ban on mass gatherings due to the coronavirus outbreak.

This came as Lagos State Government said it would order religious centres to stop services but gave no effective date.

Kunle Somorin, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dapo Abiodun, said the order was in addition to further to measures so far taken to ramp up its efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

A statement he signed on Wednesday, disclosed the government’s directive.

It ordered immediate ban of all high-densitygatherings that would bring together 50 or more persons in the same place, such as social clubs, halls, cinemas, night clubs, restaurants, cafes, and sport arenas.

The measure will be in effect for the next 30 days in the first instance.

The Ogun government explained that the restriction has been enforced without prejudice to people’s fundamental rights to association and movement.

It stressed that the people and their welfare are priorities that cannot be toyed with.

“The Government will continue to engage all the stakeholders, including our religious leaders to sensitise the populace on the need to maintain social distancing and collective effort to combat this pandemic.

“The Government will continue the surveillance initiatives and intensify sensitisation on COVID-19. This is more so given the peculiarity of its location as the Nation’s Gateway State and its industrial capital.

“Our epidemiologists and other health workers are working round the clock with Federal agencies and international development agencies to stop the spread of corona virus”, it read.

The statement further encouraged people to maintain a high level of suspicion and report any suspected case to the appropriate authorities.