Lagos directs schools to resume September 22

The Lagos State Government has directed all schools to resume on September 22 in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive.
The government said in a release issued by the Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Information, Lateef Raji, in Ikeja on Friday that it thought an upward shift of the date was no longer necessary.
Some parents and teachers under the aegis of National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria and other concerned parties have mounted strong pressure on the Federal Government to shift the resumption back to October 13 or even later.
The government had at the heat of the Ebola crisis directed the shifting of the resumption of all schools, both private and public, to October 13. But it reviewed it when it became obvious that the Ebola virus has been reasonably contained.
The Lagos government in the statement said the Ebola Virus, for which the resumption was initially postponed, had been significantly contained as there was no carrier in the state at the moment.
It added that the last individual suspected to have been exposed to the virus was expected to be discharged from observation on September 18 if the person tested negative.
The government said members of the public would be notified if there was any need whatsoever to review the resumption date.
The statement said: “Considering the current report, it is clear that the risk of infection with the EVD in the state has been significantly reduced.
“Health professionals working on the outbreak are also in agreement that there was no reason why schools should be closed beyond September 22.
“In spite of the foregoing, the state government has now developed and will deploy all resources necessary to sustain the capacity to promptly take into custody any person suspected to be infected with EVD.
“It will as well safely test, monitor and isolate such a person for treatment as may be found necessary without endangering other members of the public.”
The statement said government was putting in place measures to ensure the threat of the virus was eliminated in schools.
It listed some of the measures to include training of teachers and school owners on how to be safe from the virus, health monitoring and surveillance and provision of sanitary facilities in schools.
The release urged residents to be vigilant and report suspected cases and thanked health workers who had worked laboriously to help put a lid on the virus.