Tension As Obaseki Restricts Unvaccinated Civil Servants From Work

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has barred civil servants who have not been vaccinated from going to work.

Naija News recalls Obaseki had declared that starting from the second week of September, people in the state will be required to show their COVID-19 vaccination cards before gaining access to public spaces.

Following the directive, a group went to court, seeking to restrain the government from carrying out its threat but the governor stood his ground.

In a statement on Tuesday by the Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Health, Osamwonyi Irowa, said the government with effect from September 15, 2021, will commence the enforcement of the “no vaccination card, no access to public places” policy.

According to Irowa, all those who are yet to take the COVID-19 vaccine have also been barred from accessing public places.

Irowa said the government had trained 20 special teams that will enforce the policy across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

Irowa disclosed that the state recently recorded 33 new cases, three deaths including a 28-year-old pregnant woman, and 114 recoveries.

According to him, refusing to get vaccinated and non-adherence to a pharmaceutical measure of preventing COVID-19 is responsible for the high death rate in the state.

He, however, advised residents to get themselves vaccinated and protect their loved ones.

The statement reads: “Beginning from September 15, Civil servants and others without COVID-19 vaccination cards will not be allowed into public facilities. Government House and public places will be manned by the task force.”

“Those civil servants without the cards and those who have not vaccinated will have to stay and work from home. This will be applicable in the 18 local government areas of the state.”

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“The government is not forcing anyone to take the vaccine but if you don’t have the vaccination card you can’t access our public facilities.”