The Edo state government has exempted patients and visitors to public hospitals from its ongoing enforcement of anti-coranavirus vaccination.
As part of the COVID-19 protocol enforcement, government agents, on Wednesday, the government barred civil servants and visitors without proof of vaccination from its offices and facilities – an action that has left many people stranded.
However, the permanent secretary of the dtate ministry of health, Dr. Osamwonyi Irowa, who gave an update of the pandemic on Thursday said “hospital patients will not be compelled to take the vaccines”.
He cautioned residents of the state to take necessary precautions in ensuring that public health issue is properly managed by observing COVID-19 protocols and presenting themselves for vaccination.
According to him, “We are not compelling people to take the vaccine. But we are encouraging people to take precautions and prevent them from getting infected from further spreading the virus.
“But following the enforcement that we started, the turnout on the uptake of the vaccine has significantly increased- including those who are not Civil servants, many other persons are beginning to see the reality in this.
“These enforcement and measures that we are applying is not peculiar to Edo state alone. These are best practices to ensure that we minimise deaths and stop the pandemic as early as possible.”
