Govt issues red alert on COVID-19 Delta Variant

…Tasks residents on safety precautions

Abimbola Abatta, Osogbo

Following the discovery of the new Delta variant which has also been found in Nigeria, Osun residents and citizens have been urged not to disregard COVID-19 safety protocols and non-pharmaceutical guidelines.

The residents and citizens were further warned that non-adherence to safety protocols may produce unpleasant outcomes.

This is coming in the heels of reports of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had announced last Friday the confirmation of the SARS-CoV-2 known as the Delta variant in the country.

In a statement signed by Osun Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs Funke Egbemode, on Wednesday, the state government enjoined citizens to continue to take personal responsibility for their own safety.

The statement read thus: “The government of the State of Osun is advising its residents not to let down their guard or be  lured into a false sense of security that  the world is totally out of the grips of COVID-19.

“The arrival of the new Delta variant is a signal to us that we cannot let down our guards. It has ushered in a third wave in other parts of the world, and its strain has been found in Nigeria – as a matter of fact, in Oyo state.

“Therefore, we cannot pretend that Osun is an island considering our people engage in trade and social activities with this neighbouring state.

“We should also be aware that the new variant has a high rate of mutation and it is deadlier. The worse part is that it does not have exactly the same symptoms like the variants experienced in the first and second wave. It presents just as body ache, devoid of dry cough and fever. So we need to be mindful of the symptoms and go to the hospital when we feel unwell.

“Those who have taken the two jabs of the vaccine should note that the vaccine reduces their susceptibility but doesn’t rule out their chances of contracting and infecting others who have not been vaccinated.

“Everyone should protect himself at all times by putting on a face mask in public places, avoid crowded spaces, disinfect  hands and surfaces with alcohol-based sanitizer.”