The Oyo state government has said churches, mosques are to remain closed until further notice.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Taiwo Adisa, made this disclosure in a statement on Tuesday evening.
According to statement, the Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force was still evaluating the situation in the state and, therefore, would not be able to follow the decision by the Presidential Task Force, which relaxed the ban on religious gathering and the curfew.
It stated that the position was informed by the ongoing risk, situation analysis being undertaken by a team of experts after a two-hour online meeting.
The statement read: “The Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force wishes to alert the public that the ban on religious gathering remains in force in the state. The 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew earlier imposed on the state as a result of the ravaging pandemic, will also remain in force until further notice.
“This is because the Task Force is awaiting a risk, situation analysis report by a team of experts earlier commissioned to do so.
“The report is expected at the end of the week and it is only after the report has been analysed by the Task Force that it can be in a position to make further clarifications.”
According to the statement, the Task Force will always make its decisions in relation to the behavioral patterns of the novel Coronavirus in its domain, relying on science, logic and data, assuring residents that the state is leaving no stone unturned in curtailing the spread of the dreaded virus.
Meanwhile, the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) of the Task Force will on Wednesday commence the community testing for COVID-19, with the aim of determining the behaviour of the virus in the state.
The statement indicated that the exercise, which is scheduled to hold in 10 locations, will kick off in three different sites in Ibadan on Wednesday.
