The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said that the reopening of schools this period of the pandemic would lead to more cases of coronavirus in Nigeria.
Dr Yahya Disu, Head, Risk Communication of the Commission made the disclosure during a webinar hosted by the Country Director, Plan International, Hussaini Abdu, with the support from the European Union over the weekend.
Disu said children run the risk of contracting and spreading the COVID-19 if schools are reopened, as the onset of the wet season comes along with an increase in flu-like diseases. He also stated that children are likely not going to comply with the protocols and it could spread the disease among them. Majority of the children go to school in public vehicles and the transport sector is known to have poor record of compliance, he asserted.
The webinar which was themed – “Rethinking Education: Perspective and Challenges of Remote and Alternative Learning in COVID-19 Pandemic – had NCDC officials, top government functionaries and stakeholders in the education sector in attendance.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 has announced that schools would reopen to allow prospective school leavers write exams. These persons include those in Primary 6, JSS 3 and SS 3.
