The Osun House of Assembly has made the use of facemask compulsory for the state assembly workers and visitors, saying that those without facemasks would be denied entry into the complex.
Mr Timothy Owoeye, the Speaker of the Assembly gave the warning in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Kunle Alabi on Tuesday in Oshogbo.
The speaker said the decision was sequel to the relaxation of the lockdown in the state.
Owoeye said the decision was reached after an executive session of the Assembly.
He added that putting on of face masks among other precautionary measures in and around the assembly was sacrosanct to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that the use of simple cloth face coverings would slow the spread of Coronavirus and help people, who may have the virus and did not know it, from transmitting to others.
He said that the major criteria for accessing the state assembly complex henceforth would be the facemask, saying the step taken by the state parliamentarians would assuage the fear of contracting the virus, as the assembly resumed full legislative activities.
“As we are all aware that the assembly has resumed fully for legislative activities with very few senior cadre of workers in spite of the ravaging Coronavirus.
“This was borne out of the need to support government in the fight against the pandemic.
“The lead agenda of the 7th Assembly is quality legislation that will impact the lives of Osun people, in order to assuage the fear of people contracting the virus while we resumed.
“It has become imperative that everyone coming to the assembly must wear face mask. It is going to be, no face mask, no entry.
“It is the resolution of the assembly that if everybody wears a face mask, we will be mutually protecting each other.
“Wearing a face covering is just one additional step that we can take to stop the spread of the virus, but it is not a replacement for other important protective measures, such as washing hands and social distancing,” he said.
The speaker charged residents of the state not to trivialise matters associated with the containment of community transmission of the virus and that all hands must be on deck to ensure that COVID-19 pandemic was brought to an end.
