As countries of the world including Nigeria battle with the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, residents of Ondo State have again been charged to continue to observe all the COVID-19 precautionary measures.
The Chairman of the State Inter-Ministerial Committee on COVID-19 and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi gave the charge when he led members of the committee on a sensitisation and enforcement tour of COVID-19 precautionary measures in Akure, the state capital.
The first point of call of the committee was a press conference addressed by the State Head of Service, Pastor John Niran Adeyemo to flag-off the Year 2021 Edition of the Annual Ondo State Civil Service Week holding between Tuesday, August 24 and Wednesday, August 25,2021.
At the press briefing, Fatusi charged workers in the state Civil Service to prioritise observance of all COVID-19 protocols and ensure that they are fully vaccinated against the disease.
While affirming that the Delta Variant strain of the COVID-19 is a reality as a number of deaths have been recorded due to the COVID-19 strain, the medical expert urged workers in the state to see themselves as major stakeholders in the fight against COVID-19.
He urged them to replicate the message of prevention and champion the cause for the elimination of COVID-19 in their various offices, homes, churches and the society at large.
The committee thereafter visited the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps) head office in Alagbaka, the Akure Shopping Mall (Shop rite) and the Walk-In Vaccine Modular Cold Chain Store at the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (OSPHCDA) where the COVID-19 vaccines are stored.
Fatusi solicited partnership of the security agency with the committee in tackling COVID-19 in the state through spreading of the message of prevention in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
Addressing journalists, Fatusi averred that the overall assessment of the committee shows that the compliance level to COVID-19 precautionary measures among residents of the state is not satisfactory.
While noting that the pandemic is still around, even in a more deadly form called Delta Variant, he said the sensitisation tour was designed to see how far people and the various organisation in the state are complying with the precautionary measures on COVID-19.
He stressed the need to continue to educate the people and highlight the importance of collaboration in curbing the pandemic.
Fatusi urged the people of Ondo State to ensure that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and disregard all the rumours about the vaccines.
Also speaking with journalists, a member of the committee and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Pharmacist (Mrs.) Folukemi Aladenola said the committee observed low compliance with COVID-19 protocols among the people of the state as majority of the people think that the pandemic has receded.
Aladenola added that the committee will continue to sensitise the people of the state on the fact that COVID-19 is still around and the need to comply with the precautionary measures and general hygiene.
The Permanent Secretary advised the people of the state to ensure that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The State Cold Chain Officer at the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (OSPHCDA), Mrs. Wuraola Omoyeni said on August 20, 2021, her office took delivery of 48,230 doses of modena vaccines from the zonal store and the vaccines were immediately distributed to the eighteen local government areas of the state.
She said the agency is presently awaiting the arrival of additional vaccines.
Samson Omotayo,
Media Officer.
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