Schools resumption: Students are at risk of COVID-19 — Experts

Experts send a note of warning to Fg as they believe shortage of toilets and handwashing facilities in schools put students at serious risk of getting infected with COVID-19.

The experts urged the government to urgently take steps to ensure the provision of toilet and handwashing facilities in all the schools or suspend schooling for the rest of the year.

According to them, the consequences of re-opening schools in the absence of such basic facilities will be enormous, noting that the transmission of the virus is likely to be more as mixing occurs in the schools.

They urged the government to do everything within its powers to minimize the risk of school students’ exposure to COVID-19.

The government, they said, should put the right structures in place to prevent COVID-19 transmission among students, adding that the government should also ensure that school students don’t pick the viral infection in school only to take it home to infect the elderly and other vulnerable people.

It will be recalled that Kogi, Osun and Lagos states have announced resumption dates for schools. Kogi State approved September 14 for the resumption of primary, secondary and tertiary schools.

Osun State announced September 21 as the tentative resumption date for schools in the state, while Lagos State announced September 14 as resumption dates for tertiary schools in the state and September 21 for primary and secondary schools.