COVID-19: FG Rules Out Reopening Of Schools Soon

The Federal Government has guarantee not to risk children by opening schools.

Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, said this while replying to a question during the daily briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 pandemic.

President Muhammadu Buhari had declare a gradual lockdown relaxation in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States.

But Nwajiuba said there was no date yet for schools in the country to resume.

He also purify that the West African Examinations Council has not cancelled its external exams as students will still have to go and take those exams when the government was sure to have taken good care of the pupils.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has said the 15-member medical team from China who recently completed their compulsory 14-day quarantine have all tested negative for the COVID-19 virus.

He also said the Committee of Experts, which will be sworn in later is headed by Professor Oyewale Tomori, a renowned virologist and that other members will be revealed at the swearing in.












The minister had said the Chinese medical experts will be providing technical support to Nigeria in its fight against COVID-19, and also sharing experiential strategies of how their country reduce the spread of the virus.

“As for the Chinese persons who came in, the test has been done after they were quarantined for 14 days. All of them were negative. After that, the Federal Ministry of Health is done with that particular case.

“The Ministry of Health has up a ministerial expert advisory committee, made up of clear Nigerian virologists, public health experts, spreading disease and diagnostic experts and others, to study the evolution and development of the COVID-19 outbreak and the responses in Nigeria.

“The committee will advise on the national strategy and action plan, using lessons learned as we go along, and those learned from strategies in places across the globe. This will help us to identify and adopt the promising strategies and align our plans with best practices and advisories.”

On security at the isolation centres, he said: “I can say quite happily and proudly that the Nigerian Army has agreed to support isolation centres with security as the need arises. So, we shall be applying for their support in situations where we need security for all our patients and also for those who are awaiting results who have been tested.”