COVID-19:181 Pupils, School Staff Infected In Lagos, 17 in Kaduna Varsity - EDU-BIZNEWS

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Saturday, October 17, 2020

COVID-19:181 Pupils, School Staff Infected In Lagos, 17 in Kaduna Varsity



No fewer than 181 pupils and staff members of a private school located in  Lekki , a sub-burb area of Lagos State have tested positive for COVID-19 during surveillance and case investigation in the school.

The State Commissioner for Health,Prof.Akin Abayomi on Friday, revealed the number of infected pupils and staff in a statement from the ministry’s Director, Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo.

Abayomi who put the total population of the school at 441, explained that a 14-year-old SS1 female pupil fell ill on October 3 and was sent home after receiving first aid at the school.

The situation prompted the State Ministry of  Health to carry out surveillance in the school, to detect more cases of the virus.

In a related development, 17 students of  the Kaduna State University are infected with the virus .

Because of the situation, the University branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities  opposed the university’s management plan resumption of the institution after several months of lockdown.

The Lagos State Health Commissioner  said the parents had been contacted and counselled via a family Zoom call on October 13 to further allay their fears as communication between school authorities and parents continued.

“There is a total lockdown and movement restriction in the school with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Pillar of the emergency operations centre and Ibeju-Lekki LGA State Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer reporting at the school daily to conduct further investigation,"Abayomi stated

According to the Commissioner "Positive pupils and staff have been isolated on the premises and given the COVID-19 home-care treatment packs and are being monitored in isolation within the school premises."

“Pupils are to be isolated in the school premises and, if unwell, they will be admitted in one of the accredited isolation centres in Lagos. Pupils are discouraged from going home to avoid infecting members of their families.,"Abayomi added.

"The Ministry of Health is working closely with the Ministry of Education to jointly manage this minor and significant outbreak in this boarding school. I am pleased to announce that all the infected pupils are predominantly asymptomatic, while some have very mild symptoms; no pupil has required hospitalisation",he said.

“Members of the Emergency Operation Centre and our counterparts in the Ministry of Education have been deployed to the school to provide strategic interventions and support to the school. This includes psychosocial support, infection prevention control, medical monitoring and risk communication experts to further enlighten and educate affected people.”, the Commissioner said.

Reactiing to the unhealthy development, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, asked the Lagos and Kaduna state governments to be proactive and ensure closure of identified Schools to curtail outbreak of COVID-19 in the area

Also reacting to the COVID-19 cases being reported in Lagos and Kaduna schools, the President, National Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, said it was unfortunate that the country was not prepared for the second wave of COVID-19.

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