As part of the measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus the Lagos State Government has deployed an enforcement team after residents engaging in a social gathering, parties, and clubs, to disperse and arrest perpetrators.

The task force will enforce the anti social gathering policy and monitor so no social gathering in the state or religious association exceed the restricted 20 people per gathering.

The deployment came hours after the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced discharge of the Italian coronavirus index case and directed law enforcement agencies to disperse and arrest any large gatherings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the state.

Some of the task force member which include officials from Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Safety Commission and Policemen attached to Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Agency (Task Force).

Earlier, Sanwo-Olu, while justifying the need for the restriction, said: “In South Korea, and Singapore, the disease spread largely through organized religious gatherings. The issue is of course not cause religion, but that the virus can spread through any large assemblage of people or gathering”.

He said: “To protect and save lives, law enforcement agencies, especially the Police, have been directed to enforce compliance with the directive against any assemblage of a large number of people at any location.

“You will all agree with me that these times call for us all to act responsibly and abstain from all large outings or gatherings of any kind, be they academic, family, professional, political, religious or social”, the governor added.

The governor, however, cautioned residents against panic-buying of the Chloroquine drug, foodstuff, and other household items.