Funke Egbemode, Osun Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, disclosed this in a statement in Osogbo.

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Egbemode, who noted that the case was worrisome, said barely a week that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 announced the discovery of the strain in Nigeria, Osun already had five cases.

“Considering the continued disregard and defiance for safety protocols in the state, the government is extremely concerned about the days ahead.

“This new strain spreads faster and kills quicker.

“If it continues to grow, more citizens will become vulnerable and those with underlying ailments, more endangered,’’ the commissioner said.

She said Nigerians could not continue to act as if COVID-19 was not real.

“It is not just a sad reality but one that has changed momentum with this more deadly strain.

“Citizens are enjoined to scale up their personal responsibility for safety by complying with all the non-pharmaceutical protocols outlined by the government, to avoid tragic consequences,” Egbemode said.