As the spread of Coronavirus continues to ravage the world, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of The State of Osun has urged citizens and residents of the State not to panic but obey government’s instructions and follow basic personal hygiene habits.

Oyetola said this during a statewide broadcast on Monday on the measures put in place by the the State government to contain the spread of Coronavirus in the State.

The Governor who disclosed that there was no confirmed case of the virus in the state, called on residents of the State to cooperate with the government to fight the virus, noting that “winning the war against Coronavirus is a collective responsibility.”

“Fellow Citizens, winning the war against Coronavirus is a collective responsibility. Let us all unite to fight the virus that is threatening our lives, our economy and all we labour and stand for as a people.

“Do not panic! But obey government’s simple instructions and directives. Follow simple hygiene. And together, we shall win the war against Coronavirus and keep our State safe and secure. Cooperate with government and endure the temporary hardships as no sacrifice is too much for our lives and those of our loved ones”, the governor added.

Speaking on measures taken so far to prevent an outbreak of the disease in Osun, Oyetola said the government had established three committees and had also created a holding centre to treat possible reported cases.

“As part of immediate measures to prevent an outbreak, we constituted three committees to decisively deal with the situation. These are the Technical Response Committee, the Economic Impact Committee and the Communication Committee. These three committees, which consist of experts in the respective fields, report directly to my office under my leadership.

“We have also created holding centre to isolate and treat possible reported cases. The Emergency Hotline to call, should there be need is 293. Other phone numbers are: 08035025692, 08033908772 and 08056456250.

“We are also in partnership with the African Centre of Excellence in Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) at the Redeemers University, Ede, for easy investigation” he added.

Continuing, the governor stated that the State government had placed a ban on public gatherings, adding that a Monitoring Team had been mandated to enforce the ban.

“In addition to the proactive measures we have so far taken, we have also placed a ban on public gatherings. We wish to make it abundantly clear that the ban also covers unauthorised Mining Sites across the State, Churches, Mosques, Political Meetings and Night Clubs among others.

“We have also mandated a Monitoring Team to enforce the ban on public gatherings. We are doing all these to further ensure we are all safe.”

He appealed to residents of the State to avoid non-essential travels within the country, while also urging them to report to appropriate authorities if they have travel history to or from nations identified as high risk countries or have contact with persons diagnosed with the Coronavirus.