Ogun State Government has clarified the information and process for decontamination of industry and business premises as part of the measures to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in work places in particular and community transmission of the virus in the state as a whole.

In the press statement issued in Abeokuta on Thursday by his Press Secretary, Governor Dapo Abiodun clarified that the main objective of the Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines for Workplaces in Ogun State issued earlier in the wake of COVID-19 is to ensure safe and conducive work environment for workers in both public and private sectors in the state and minimise the risk of the spread of the virus.

A key element in the guidelines is the requirement for industry and business premises to regularly decontaminate their work environment. In this regard, each company or business owner is at liberty to engage any competent service provider of its choice for fumigation or decontamination, provided that the exercise is done in accordance with the standards that ensure the environment is free of COVID-19 and other pathogens that are inimical to human health and safety. The statement continued.

“As a responsible Administration, the fumigation or decontamination requirement was a public health focused initiative and never intended as a plank for revenue generation by government or a preserve of select service providers. This directive therefore clarifies and indeed supersedes any information that may have been erroneously disseminated to the public by the State Ministry of Environment. For emphasis, there are no government accredited decontamination service providers.” The Governor was quoted as saying.

The government emphasises, once again, that the battle against the common enemy, COVID-19, can only be won if all the stakeholders play their roles, reiterating the government’s commitment of providing required leadership and guidelines, the industry placing premium on the health and safety of their workers, and individuals having the full appreciation that in the final analysis safety and health is an individual responsibility. The statement concluded.