News
#COVID-19 Updates: Oyo State Issues New Guidelines for School Resumption
790 new cases of coronavirus recorded in Nigeria
This was confirmed by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) on Wednesday, July 1. A breakdown of the new cases across states in the country is as follows; Delta-166, Lagos-120, Enugu-66, FCT-65, Edo-60, Ogun-43, Kano-41, Kaduna-39, Ondo-33, Rivers-32, Bayelsa-29, Katsina-21, Imo-20, Kwara-18, Oyo-11, Abia-10, Benue-6, Gombe-4, Yobe-2, Bauchi-2, Kebbi-2.
As at Wednesday, 26,484 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Nigeria. 10,152 patients have been discharged and 603 deaths have been recorded.
A breakdown of cases by state can be found via https://t.co/zQrpNeOfet#TakeResponsibility pic.twitter.com/vPHSIYHcAw
— NCDC (@NCDCgov) July 1, 2020
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Oyo govt issues fresh directive for the resumption of schools
The Oyo State government has announced some guidelines which schools are expected to follow while resuming school next Monday to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, made the announcement on Wednesday, July 1. He said, school heads, principals and teachers have undergone training on how to monitor and report any suspected case of coronavirus.
Olusunkanmi said:
Throughout last week, what we have been doing was to train school heads and teachers of public and private schools, preparing them for this task of taking firm control of preventing the spread of COVID-19 into our schools as we resume. Each school has been mandated to strictly enforce social distancing and observe other protocols against Covid-19 among teachers and students as laid down by NCDC.
Students are to come to school with their facemasks and follow instructions on the guidelines from the management, these are imperative the government cannot lock down forever and education is an aspect of life that should not be allowed to suffer backwardness.
I can boldly tell you that with these measures in place, the children are more safer with us in school than even many homes, imagine situations whereby students are asked to go to private lessons that provided no safety measure, many follow their parents to the market and workplaces where possibility of contracting the virus is high, so they are rather better kept at school than home.
Olasunkanmi also allayed fears of members of the public on risks associated with the reopening of schools.
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Federal government guidelines for the extension of the eased lockdown
The federal government has issued draft guidelines for the extension of eased lockdown in Nigeria, for June 30 to July 27.
• Maintaining the current nationwide curfew (10 pm – 4 am).
• Maintaining the restrictions on mass gatherings and sporting activities.
• Re-commencement of domestic aviation services.
• Allowing movement across state boundaries only outside curfew hours.
• Allowing students in graduating classes (Primary 6, JS3 & SS3) to resume in preparation for examinations.
• Federal and State Government offices to maintain current timing of 9 am – 2 pm as Officers on GL. 14 and above, and essential staff from GL.13 and below are to continue to report for duty.
• Mandatory use of non-medical facemasks in public spaces with access to government and commercial premises to be denied for persons not wearing facemasks: ‘No mask, no entry. No mask, no service.’
Check on it!
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Minister of State for Education says FG is making plans for students to write exams
The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, has said the Federal Government is only making plans to reopen schools for students in graduating classes to write exams.
He made this known during an interview on Channels TV’s “Politics Today“ on Wednesday.
According to him, despite the shutting of schools as a result of the COVID-19, exams are critical for the academic progress of students.
We presented to the PTF and by extension, the Federal Government, the plans by examination bodies to hold their exams. The exams are critical for how children progress.
We examined it and we felt that it is important to allow those examinations to take place but ahead of them taking place, it is important that those children who have not had the opportunity to revise their syllabus, should have an opportunity to go through that and have a revision class before the exams.
Most people who can afford it are already saying they want to be at home and go to the exams from home, that is terrific. But we understand the limitations of the average Nigerian because not everybody can afford laptops and devices and so if there are people who do have this access and feel confident that their children are ready for the exams, well, we are not compelling anybody to go to any school.
What we have done is make the facilities in our schools available.
You all know that education is on the concurrent legislative list and we’ve asked that state government’s that own these schools, to provide places to wash hands, check the temperature of the children constantly, have sanitisers in place. Private schools should be able to provide that. It’s really not a compulsion, we are just making facilities available for those who want to take the exams.
Until we are sure that these children can go to school, return safely and not bring home with them, this COVID material, and infect people who are more susceptible to the disease than they are, then we are running a huge risk and god forbid that in our hurry, something happens to our children, I’m not sure how anybody will be able to retrieve what would have been lost.
So we are not taking that risk yet. We are going to prepare as much as possible, within the guidance that they (health authorities) offer us, working in conjunction with the World Health Organisation before we reopen schools.
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Edo State Government calls for caution as confirmed cases exceed 1000, deaths rise to 39
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has expressed worry over the alarming rate of community spread of coronavirus in the state, urging residents to be cautious and observe precautionary measures against the spread of the infectious disease.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the governor noted that the state has exceeded the 1,000 thresholds and recorded 39 COVID-19-related deaths, which he said called for caution from all residents to be safe and alive.
Obaseki said: “We have discharged 21 more persons from our isolation centres after they tested negative for COVID-19. So far, 288 persons have recovered from the ailment. However, the number of deaths has risen to 39. The rise in new cases is alarming, so we must all be cautious”
He further stated that the recovered patients have now been cleared to reunite with the society, adding that the government will continue to intensify efforts to contain the pandemic in all communities in the state and protect the Edo people.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Health, Patrick Okundia, said the state has recorded a total of 1,105 confirmed cases, 5,986 suspected cases, 2567 line-listed contacts and 346 persons of interest (POIs).
Okundia noted that while the suspected cases were recorded in 17 local government areas (LGAs) of the state, the confirmed cases were recorded in 15 LGAs, including Oredo, Esan West, Egor, Ovia North East, Ikpoba-Okha, Uhunmwode, Etsako Central, Esan South East, Akoko-Edo, Esan Central, Ovia South West, Owan East, Esan North East, Etsako West and Etsako East.
The commissioner added: “We urge residents to support the government’s efforts at containing the pandemic by complying with all guidelines. Stay at home and observe all precautionary measures against the spread of the infectious disease, including regular handwashing with soap under running water and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Cover your mouth and nose properly when sneezing and/or coughing”.
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Sani Aliyu says WAEC timetable is not determined by Nigeria
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, says the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) timetable is not determined by Nigeria.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s “Sunrise Daily“, he stated that the Federal Government “will not want a serious spill-over in the nation’s academic calendar that will affect graduating students”.
We have a large number of students that are in their exit year. They need to move on. We have exams that are not specific only to Nigeria but in West Africa, WAEC for instance. We need to find a way to safely get these students to do their exams and exit, otherwise, we will have a serious spill-over when it comes to education.
COVID will go away eventually. It may take a year or longer, but what we don’t want is to have such a significant impact on our educational programme where children are unable to move at home where there is no mobility.
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COVID-19 testing remains free in Lagos State
The Lagos State Government says that COVID-19 testing remains free for those that meet the case definition in the state and have asked residents and all Lagosians who feel unwell or feel they have had close contact with an infected person to get tested.
According to a statement shared via the official Lagos State Instagram account, reads:
COVID 19 TESTING REMAINS FREE FOR THOSE THAT MEET THE CASE DEFINITION IN LAGOS STATE
The State would like to reassure the general public that testing is still free at all the COVID-19 public testing laboratories for all Lagos residents and all Lagosians are enjoined to take advantage of this service if they feel unwell or feel they have had a close contact with an infected person.
The Government has established sampling centres across the State and has continued to enhance the capacity of the public testing laboratories to test all those who require testing free of charge. If any resident feels unwell, please lodge a complaint through the appropriate channel by calling 08000CORONA.
The Lagos State Government launched a Consortium of 7 private laboratories in the first phase as part of the testing strategy of the State to increase the accessibility of testing facilities to the organized private and corporate sector who wish to test for various reasons.
For the avoidance of doubt it is necessary to reiterate to members of the public that testing remains free of charge at all public testing laboratories.
Gbenga Omotoso
Commissioner for Information & Strategy.
