Covid-19: Plateau schools may re-open October ending – Lalong

Plateau state governor Simon Lalong has expressed fears that state “remains an epic centre of the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria.”

According to him, it is disturbing that the state is faced with most dangerous step of the pandemic, where schools are expected to re-open with children in high risk of contraction.

Lalong expressed the fears Friday while declaring open, a Covid-19 engagement with local government chairmen and traditional rulers at the Government House, Jos.

He said: “If all goes well, schools should all re-open by the end of October. We are now facing the most dangerous step in the fight against Covid-19, and that is allowing our small children to go back to schools.

“We don’t want to allow them go back to school and will be told that children are dying.  We are now the epic center as a state, because in two local government areas, the disease has refused to reduce down.”

Lalong said preparatory to re-opening of schools, the state government had set up a Committee headed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) as well as sub-committees on Readiness and Compliance headed by the Commissioner for Secondary Education and chairman, SUBEB, respectively.

“We have trained teachers and principals, disinfected schools, and established task teams towards ensuring that all laid down protocols are observed. Once we finish with exit classes, we shall gradually cascade to other classes within secondary and primary levels.

“The success we record at these levels shall determine the reopening of tertiary institutions, all in a bid to guarantee the safety of our children and avoid resurgence. We hope that if all goes well, our schools should all re-open by the end of October.” 

Continuing, he said: “In terms of financial commitment, the state government has so far committed about N366.5 million to the fight against Covid-19. Additionally, we launched the Plateau state Covid-19 Endowment Fund which saw good spirited individuals and corporate organisations making donations.”

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