The ancient town of Ilesa and its environs were on Tuesday deserted as the 7-day lockdown order imposed on the four local government areas of Ijesaland by the state government commenced.

The enforcement team of the lockdown has described the observance of the lockdown as “impressive”.

The state government had last Saturday ordered  a total lockdown of Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Atakumosa East and Atakunmosa West as part of efforts to contain the community transmission of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic within the axis. 

The affected four councils are parts of the six local government areas that make up Ijesa-South and Ijesa-North Federal Constituencies of Osun East Senatorial District.

The State’s enforcement team on COVID-19, on Tuesday morning stormed the affected local government areas to enforce the lockdown measures ordered by the government.

The team, led by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Adebayo Adeleke, said members of the team were on ground to enforce the government’s directives and assess the level of compliance.

The enforcement team in company with officers of Osun Joint Task Force and Osun Joint Security Network comprises the Police, Nigeria Civil Defense Corps, Department of State Services, Nigerian Army and Volunteers of Amotekun Corps, took to the major streets and communities in the affected areas to tighten-up the road blocks and barricades mounted in the major entries and strategic places as part of efforts to prevent vehicular and needless movement of residents.

Speaking on the level of compliance, the leader of the enforcement team, said it was encouraging and impressive. 

“The lockdown is expected to last seven days. This is the first day. This is impressive. We are happy with what we have seen so far, I hope and pray this level of compliance is maintained. But if it is not, like the governor warned, it will be extended,” Adeleke said. 

It will be recalled that the government had in a statement lamented the surge in the number of confirmed Coronavirus cases  in the State in the last one month and said there was need to take measures to arrest the trend. 

Osun has recorded a total of 178 confirmed cases  so far, out of which it had successfully treated and discharged 84 patients. The State currently has a total of 87 active cases and it has recorded seven deaths since the outbreak of the virus. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu, who also spoke during the week, noted that medical analysis revealed that many of the recent cases of COVID-19 recorded in the State were from Ilesa axis and its environs, hence the need for government to impose a total lockdown to curb community transmission of the pandemic.

The State of Osun  Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu  has disclosed that the state was now awaiting the results of 30 samples from the contact tracing it embarked on at the weekend  through Monday. 

The samples  were sent to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC accredited Testing Centre, the African Centre of Excellence in Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Ede, Osun. 

Isamotu, while disclosing these in a statement on Tuesday, said contact tracing was carried out in Ejigbo, Osu, Ife East, Ilesa and Ede areas of the State. 

Giving reason for the contact tracing in those areas, Isamotu explained that the wife of a confirmed case in Ife was said to have travelled to Osu after leaving Ife, before returning to Ilesa. 

He said all 24 contacts of the cases were located by the State COVID-19 Taskforce Committee and their samples taken for evaluation. 

“Apart from the 24 samples, residents also called the team for suspected cases and in the process those samples were collected. So, the total samples collected to which we are awaiting result is 30,” he said. 

According to the Commissioner, 14 suspected cases that were subjected to test on Sunday all returned negative on Monday night. 

Isamotu also revealed that the three State health workers who initially tested positive for Coronavirus, have now tested negative once, adding that they will be subjected to another round of test, in line with NCDC protocol. “Also, our three health workers who initially tested positive, have now tested negative once. But in line with NCDC protocol, they have to test negative twice before they can be affirmed ready to join the society and resume their normal lives. So their samples will be taken again for another test after 48 hours,” the Commissioner added.