TheCable

At least 138 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps have tested positive for COVID-19.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), broke the news at the briefing of the presidential task force on COVID-19 on Monday.

“A total of 34,785 corps members and members of the camp communities have been tested so far in the last weeks of which only 138 was found positive, which is 0.4 per cent prevalence and 1 in 200 people,” Ihekweazu said.

Ihekweazu said none of those who tested positive was allowed into the camps and they are being managed at home or in a treatment centre, depending on if they had symptoms and what state they were in.

He added that the NCDC is working towards the safe reopening of NYSC orientation camps across the country.

With talks between striking university teachers and the Federal Government progressed getting more positive, he said that the next challenge would be how to work with education stakeholders to ensure safe reopening of universities.

“Universities are slightly riskier and present unique challenges, but we are confident that we can address this as we have done in other sectors like aviation,” Ihekweazu said.

Sani Aliyu, national coordinator of the PTF, advised schools to send any child with respiratory symptoms consistent with coronavirus home in order to reduce risk of transmission.

“School reopening: following some of the issues we had with Lagos State with outbreaks in some of the schools, we will like to re-emphasis adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions by schools and in particular screening and heightened awareness with regards to COVID-19,” he said.

“Any student presenting with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 particularly respiratory symptoms or fever should not be allowed to come to school.

“When teachers notice a child with respiratory symptom, the child should be sent back home, so that we can reduce the risk of transmission. Just as it is important for the need to communicate effectively with parents, staff, school health teams and creating protocols and providing regular updates on any changes to the school procedures as it relates to COVID.

“We encourage schools to continue to consider creative solutions to abide by our COVID guidelines including staggered learning to avoid overcrowding, Platooning, daily attendance and adjusting teachings etc.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated in view of new information that the 138 persons who tested positive were not allowed into the camps.