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Sanwo-Olu: Schools to reopen for exiting classes

…to begin arrests of residents without facemasks

Apparently dissatisfied with the rising cases of the coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic in the state, Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday hinted that schools would be reopened for exiting classes. The governor, who was apparently irked by the lack of commitment by resident to use facemasks, said the state government would soon begin to arrest and prosecute defaulters of COVID-19 guidelines. On resumption, Sanwo- Olu said schools in the state will remain closed, adding that those affected by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 directives were students in Primary 6; J.S.3 and S.S.3.

He added that the commencement dates for the opening will be announced after such schools have met the required guidelines and protocols and provision of essentials for both students and teachers alike. He said: “All schools and educational institutions will remain closed. We continue to support online teaching of curriculum during this period.

“However, students in transitional classes, who have mandatory public exams ahead of them are permitted to resume at only day schools as soon as possible for revision classes and examination. “All educational establishments are to follow established public health guidelines and protocol for re-opening the schools for these categories of students.

“For the avoidance of doubt, students impacted by this directive are those in primary 6; J.S.3 and S.S.3. Commencement dates for this opening will be announced after such schools have met the required guidelines and protocols and provision of essentials for both students and teachers alike. “Our tertiary institutions are to continue their online academic activities which are at various advanced stages.” On COVID-19 in the state, Sanwo-Olu said as at midnight of Thursday, Lagos State had recorded a total of 10,639 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

He said: “Mask usage is mandatory in public places. We are asking offices and business and commercial premises to refuse entry to any persons not wearing masks, in line with the Presidential Task Force directive on “No mask, no entry. No mask, no service.” Enforcement agencies will from this week charge defaulters to court, as the period of grace is now over.

FCE Abeokuta shut down as staff dies

The Federal College of Education (FEC), Osiele, Abeokuta, Ogun State was yesterday shut down as one of its staff died of coronavirus-related complications. Two other workers of the institution were also confirmed positive and have been moved into an isolation centre in the state. Following the incident, the management ordered the immediate closure of the college for two weeks. Saturday Telegraph gathered that the staff who died of COVID-19 at the institution was a 58-year-old medical worker whose test result came out two days after his demise. Registrar of the college, Dr Adedayo Adebayo, confirmed the death yesterday in a statement made available to our correspondent. He said: “The College management at its emergency meeting held today (yesterday) 3rd July, 2020 received with utmost concern the report of the medical investigation carried out on the cause of the observed state of ailment that recently affected some staff of the College Medical Centre.”

Order another lockdown, Ondo NUJ tells Akeredolu

Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has been urged to lockdown the state again for the next 14 days as a measure towards containing its spread. The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, which made the appeal yesterday, said the 14 days would assist in identifying those that had already contracted the disease. In the statement signed by the State Chairman of the Union, Adetona Aderoboye and the State Secretary, Leke Adegbite, they stated that the spike of the deadly virus in the state became evident following the lifting of ban on religious gathering in the state.

Adegbero laid to rest amid tears

The remains of the late Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro, was yesterday laid to rest, according to Islamic rites, in his country home of Ilara- Mokin, Ifedore Local Government Area of the state. The burial was supervised by officials of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) despite the surging crowd who thronged the scene of the interment. It will be recall that Dr. Adegbenro, 65, who was the Chairman, Ondo State Inter-ministerial Committee Against COVID-19 died on Thursday due to COVID-19 complications.

Edo discharges 80 more patients

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has disclosed that 80 more coronavirus (COVID-19) patients have recovered and cleared to reunite with their families and the society after testing negative to the virus. In a statement, the governor said the death toll had risen to 43, with the elderly accounting for a large number of the fatalities. Obaseki said: “We have discharged 80 more COVID- 19 patients from our isolation centres. The number of discharges now stands at 498. We lost one more person to the virus, bringing the number of fatalities to 43. Stay safe and protect our aged parents, who are most endangered.”

… clears 2,532 suspected cases

Meanwhile, Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, said the state has recorded a total of 1,203 confirmed cases, 6,046 suspected cases and exited 2,532 others, including 2,185 line-listed contacts and 347 persons-of-interest (POI), who have completed the compulsory 14-day followup and tested negative.

EU approves Remdesivir drug to

The first drug to treat severe cases of Covid-19 in the European Union has been given the green light, with the European Commission approving remdesivir. “We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to secure efficient treatments or vaccine against the coronavirus,” Stella Kyriakides, the EU’s health commissioner, said in a statement. It is the first time the EU’s executive arm has granted the approval to a COVID-19 drug and was the last step for remdesivir to be given the full the go-ahead.

18 frontline health workers test positive in Niger

Niger State Government yesterday disclosed that 18 frontline health workers have tested positive to coronavirus in the state. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Muhammed Makusidi, said the state had spent over N190 million on equipment purchased for the treatment and for the containment of the virus across the state. He said: “The 18 infected health workers were among the total recorded in the state since the outbreak of the pandemic.”

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