COVID-19: Government reveals new date for reopening of schools

Ekiti state government has announced a new date of reopening of schools for graduating students and pupils in the state, Onyxnews Nigeria can report.

The state has announced the reopening of schools for both public and private schools from Monday, 20th July to Thursday, 3rd August 2020.

The State’s Commissioner for Education, Foluso Daramola made this announcement during a media chat on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti.

Daramola said that the South-West states held a virtual meeting where each state was told to plan for resumption of school.

He said, “Pupils in primary six and students in JSS 3, SSS 3 were to resume on the new date.” He, however, urged parents and guardians to provide three face masks each, for their children and wards.”

According to him, the government would make available all protective materials needed to public and private schools in order to fight coronavirus.

The commissioner said any private school with two gates must close one to control movement in and out of the school.

Daramola explained further that authorities of private primary and secondary schools should make available other materials needed to curtail the pandemic virus.

He said the government had also banned the use of school buses by private schools to transport pupils and students to their various schools, saying the action was in line with social distancing protocol.

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned countries on the reopening of schools, in the midst of coronavirus pandemic.

The warning was issued by Michael Ryan, a top official of WHO, who said that reopening of schools should be based on data-driven COVID-19 public health strategies and not just political.

The Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme stated this at a briefing in Geneva, Switzerland.

According to NAN, Ryan said, “Decisions must be made on data, and an understanding of the risks. There needs to be a sustained commitment on suppressing the virus. If we can suppress it, then, schools can open safely.”