Date: 2020-06-17

As the English Premier League begins on Wednesday, the Kwara State Government on Tuesday said football viewing centres in the state will not be allowed to open yet.

A statement by the spokesman of the state COVID-19 technical committee, Rafiu Ajakaye, in Ilorin, also disclosed that the "on Tuesday, the state recorded 17 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the tally of confirmed cases to 168."

Ajakaye said "the state also discharged five patients who have twice tested negative for the virus, bringing the tally of patients already managed and discharged to 100."

The state government described football viewing centres as a dangerous window for widespread transmission of the Coronavirus among viewers.

"The government is aware that the English Premier league commences tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17. This is to state clearly that viewing centres are not allowed to open under any guise during this pandemic.

"Doing so,"the statement added "will actively promote the spread of the virus and endanger people's lives and further stretch public resources to the limits."

The statement further directed that "all motorcycles and other items seized during the lockdown be released to their owners without any preconditions."

"Following the relaxation of the lockdown, however, the state government hereby directs immediate and unconditional release of those motorcycles and other items to their owners so as not to worsen the socioeconomic hardships that the pandemic has already imposed on them at all levels."

It commended the security agencies for their good work during and after the lockdown.