The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, says the country will overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
The monarch said this while playing host to Osun devotees in his palace as the ancient city celebrated the Osun festival on Saturday.
Ogunwusi, who admitted that the pandemic was still ravaging the country, urged Nigerians to always observe laid down precautionary measures and avoid circulation of fake news.
“Unlike the way we used to have it in Ife, we were forced to restrict this celebration which is a major festival in Ife.
“Our restriction made us to ensure that we don’t create more problems while trying to solve the one at hand.
“Osun festival, as the world knows, is the celebration of water and we all know that water is life.
“We’re using this instance to reconnect with our creator through nature to cleanse the world, and especially to end the pandemic.
“We are remembering our ancestors and it is unfair to call us idol worshippers,” he said.
The Osun Government was represented at the event by Mrs Sola Duro-Ladipo, Director of Field Research, Festival and Documentation, Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Other dignitaries also graced the occasion which was held in adherence to COVID-19 precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 438 new COVID-19 cases in the country as total infections from the virus rise to 39,977.
The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Saturday.
It stated that regrettably, 11 deaths were recorded in the country.
According to it, 39,977 cases have been confirmed, 16,948 cases have been discharged and 856 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The health agency said that the 438 new cases were reported from 24 states, Lagos (123), Kaduna (50), Rivers (40), Edo (37), Adamawa (25), Oyo State (20), Nasarawa State (16), Osun (15), Enugu State (15), FCT (14), Ekiti (13), Ondo State (13), Ebonyi (11), Katsina State (10), Abia (9), Delta (8), Kwara (4), Ogun (3), Cross River (3), Kano State (3), Bauchi State (3), Yobe (2), Sokoto State (1) and Niger (1).
It noted that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) would continue to coordinate the national response activities across the country.
The NCDC, however, called on Nigerians to note that all COVID-19 tests conducted in the public facilities and within its molecular laboratories network were free.
“There are seven fee-paying labs accredited by the Lagos State Government for COVID-19 testing–Total Medical Services, SynLab, 54gene, Medbury Medical Services, Biologix Medical Services, O2 Medical Services, Clina Lancent Lab, Lagos” it stated.
It noted that results from these laboratories were recognised by the agency.
It also announced the inclusion of the Virology Laboratory, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu State, to its Molecular Laboratory Network.
The health agency said that this brought to 59, the total number of laboratories in the country.
