The Federal Government has released guidelines for the safe reopening of schools after COVID-19 pandemic closures.

This was disclosed by the Federal Ministry of Education on its official website on Monday, as it published the guidelines and outlined actions, measures, and requirements needed for the safe reopening of schools after the pandemic is contained.

The 52-paged communique, which was signed by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, and Minister of State (Education), Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, was developed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Health, and health safety experts in the country.

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Adamu said, “Now is the time to plan and address the eventual safe reopening of schools and learning facilities. It will be recalled that at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, schools and all learning facilities were closed in order to safeguard the health and general wellbeing of our children, youths, teachers, and educational personnel.

“As a responsible government, it is also our duty to provide comprehensive guidelines for a safe and hitch-free reopening of schools and learning facilities. We do so knowing that the health, safety, and security of learners, teachers, education personnel, and families are priorities.”

According to him, the Guidelines for Schools and Learning Facilities Reopening after COVID-19 Pandemic Closures outlines key strategies for implementing safe and efficient and equitable plans for school reopening and operations.

Mr Adamu further noted that the document focuses on attendance, social distancing, hygiene, cleaning, and non-pharmaceutical interventions for safe and healthy school activities and programs.

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The minister noted that given that COVID-19 may be with us for a while, the guidelines also highlight the urgent need to maintain and improve upon distance-learning programs, adding that the government’s aim is to identify and strengthen programs that will guarantee the recovery of learning gaps resulting from the pandemic

WHO warns

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned global leaders that Covid-19 will not disappear in the coming months, and it’s unrealistic to expect that a perfect vaccine will become available to everyone immediately.

This was disclosed by Head, Emergencies programme, WHO, Mike Ryan, at a briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday.

Ryan is optimistic that things won’t return to normal “for the foreseeable future,” as confirmed cases worldwide exceeded 13 million.

He explained that it would be unrealistic to expect that a perfect vaccine will become available to everyone immediately, and it’s not realistic to expect Covid-19 to disappear in the coming months.

.@DrMikeRyan responded to a question about the role that children play in #COVID19 transmission ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/K3XynONA1e

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 13, 2020

WHO’s stand on when schools can open

Ryan said, “The best way to reopen schools is to do so once countries succeed in combating the spread of the disease.”

Technical Lead Officer, WHO, Maria Van Kerkhove, said, “Not enough is known about the role of children in transmission, though several recent studies suggest that children over 10 are more susceptible to infection than those under 10.”

She added that WHO has sent two scientists as an advance mission to China to work remotely with local researchers as local rules require them to stay in quarantine.

They are learning how animals transmitted the disease will help in fighting it.

The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record significant increase as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 33,153 confirmed cases.

On the 13th of July 2020, 595 new confirmed cases and 4 deaths were recorded in Nigeria, having carried out a total daily test of 2,046 samples across the country.

To date, 33,153 cases have been confirmed, 13,671 cases have been discharged and 744 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 183,294 tests have been carried out as of July 13th, 2020 compared to 181,248 tests a day earlier.

COVID-19 Case Updates- 13th July 2020,

• Total Number of Cases – 33,153
• Total Number Discharged – 13,671
• Total Deaths – 744
• Total Tests Carried out – 183,294

According to the NCDC, the 595 new cases were reported from 20 states- Lagos (156), Oyo (141), FCT (99), Edo (47), Kaduna (27), Ondo (22), Rivers (20), Osun (17), Imo (13), Plateau (10), Nasarawa (8), Anambra (8), Kano (5), Benue (5), Borno (5), Ogun (4), Taraba (3), Gombe (3), Kebbi (1), Cross River (1).

Meanwhile, the latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 12,583, followed by Abuja (2,675), Oyo (1,867), Edo (1,778), Rivers (1,388),  Delta (1,359), Kano (1,314), Ogun (1,091),  Kaduna (1,016), Ondo (738), Katsina (669), Ebonyi (616), Borno (591), Plateau (543), Gombe (533), Bauchi (521), Enugu (476), Abia (405),  Imo (399), Kwara (330).

Jigawa state has recorded 321 cases, Bayelsa (313), Osun (262), Nasarawa (252), Sokoto (153), Akwa Ibom and Niger (145),  Benue (126), Adamawa (110), Anambra (101), Kebbi (87), Zamfara (76), Ekiti (63), Yobe (62), Taraba (30), Cross River (10) while Kogi state has recorded 5 cases only.

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Lock Down and Curfew

In a move to combat the spread of the pandemic disease, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days, which took effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020.

The movement restriction, which was extended by another two-weeks period, has been partially put on hold with some businesses commencing operations from May 4. On April 27th, 2020, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari declared an overnight curfew from 8 pm to 6 am across the country, as part of new measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19. This comes along with the phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos, and Ogun States, which took effect from Saturday, 2nd May 2020, at 9 am.

On Monday, 29th June 2020 the federal government extended the second phase of the eased lockdown by 4 weeks and approved interstate movement outside curfew hours with effect from July 1, 2020.

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The Federal Government of Nigeria has safely evacuated and returned home, two hundred and forty-seven Nigerians who were stranded in Malaysia and Thailand.  

The returnees were evacuated with a chartered Air Peace flight APK-7813 which arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 11p.m. on Saturday. 

EVACUATION UPDATE.

Chartered @airpeace flight APK-7813 conveying 247 stranded Nigerians from Malaysia and Thailand arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at exactly 2300HRS, 11th of July 2020.

Some passengers disembarked in Abuja..
1/2 pic.twitter.com/rAWrIBa69N

— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) July 12, 2020

According to Mr Gabriel Odu, the Head of Media and Public Relations Unit of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) who spoke to NAN, some of the returnees disembarked in Abuja, while the others proceeded to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. 

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In line with the protocols announced by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, all of the returnees presented a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding the evacuation flight, and upon arriving Nigeria, are expected to proceed on a 14-day self-isolation.  

Since four weeks ago, from the federal government, through the ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the resumption of evacuation flights, hundreds of stranded Nigerians have been returned home to their families from different countries including the United States of America, United Kingdom, Egypt, Malaysia and Thailand.  

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The returnees bear the cost of their flight tickets and are expected to self-isolate for four weeks, upon their return to Nigeria. Returnees who receive a clean bill of health after the isolation, are given their passports and allowed to go home.