COVID-19: Ondo Governor Gives Three Infected Casual Health Workers Full Employment

The Ondo State governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, on Monday, disclosed that three of the five new COVID-19 cases recorded in the state are health workers who contracted the diseases in the course of their duty.

Akeredolu, who disclosed this while briefing the people of the state on the latest development on the pandemic, said the affected workers who are casual staff at the State Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) have been given full employment in the state civil service.

Aside this, the state government has also approved the immediate increment of hazard allowance for all state health workers by 50 per cent while health workers working directly with the isolation centre are to get additional 20 per cent of their hazard allowance as special risk allowance.

The governor, who described the three health workers as heroes, said: “I must quickly express our deep solidarity with the brave workers at our Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) who, in the course of saving other people’s lives, contracted this deadly disease.

“Both the driver who carries samples to test centres outside the state and the two casual workers in the wards took the highest risk in helping their fellow human beings. They are our heroes.

“These three individuals are junior workers in that establishment, yet their contributions are critical and very essential to all our operations to fight COVID-19. They faced the daily risks of worst dimension with candour. At the end, they are infected with the deadly virus.

“I want their families and loved ones to know that Ondo State government stands firmly with them and will walk with them through these difficult times until they recover and fully get back their daily lives. Their tribulation is our burden and their total recovery will be our joy.”

He however, directed that all markets and stores across the state should be closed, just as he directed the total blockade of all the boundary routes that connect the state.

Akeredolu said the steps became imperative to control the influx of people whose health status cannot be guaranteed, while noting failure and disregard to the social distancing rules in commercial places.

The governor however, declared two out of seven days in a week, Tuesday and Thursday, for market activities within towns in the state, while main perishable food supply depots in each of the city centres in the state will open for business on Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week.

“Daily experiences of mindless disregard for social distancing in our markets and commercial places beat one’s imagination as to why, in spite of evidences of danger and government’s daily appeal, our people still insist on endangering their own lives and those of their families as well as their loved ones.

He declared that “to this end, ban is hereby placed on daily major and community market activities across the state.”

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