Face masks wearing not excuse for flouting Lockdown order – Sanwo-Olu’s aide

Gawat Jubril, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says his principal’s directive compelling all residents of the state to wear face masks in public spaces is no license to defy the lockdown order currently in place.

Jubril made this known via Twitter on Sunday shortly after the governor kicked off the “Mask Up Lagos” campaign as part of efforts to curb the circle of transmission of the coronavirus disease in the state.

Sanwo-Olu said, “Dear Lagosians, even as we observe the lockdown, we are kicking off #MaskUpLagos; the COMPULSORY wearing of face masks in Lagos. Face masks help to protect us from droplets and secretions from coughing, sneezing, etc as not everyone that is infected will show symptoms.

“Face masks, combined with frequent hand washing, being conscious about NOT touching our face, as well as #SocialDistancing, are effective in slowing the spread.

“The state government is currently producing about 3 million facemasks for distribution to the vulnerable. N95 and surgical masks help our medical workers stay safe while cloth masks made to specifications that will be released by the Ministry of Health combined with other guidelines will help protect our residents from COVID-19.”

Subsequently, the governor’s aide tweeted, “Some people are automatically translating Mr Governor’s directives on compulsory face masks in public as “freedom of movement” ….. You are on your own ooo…”

The state has been on Federal Government-ordered lockdown since 11pm March 30 as part of efforts to reduce the spread of the pandemic.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) as of Sunday night, more than 50 percent of the over 1000 coronavirus cases in the country were reported in Lagos State.