181 students, staff contract COVID-19 in Lagos school

Lagos State Government has said it has confirmed COVID-19 cases in a private boarding school in Lekki.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this said 181 students and staff members at the private school located in a suburb of Lekki tested positive for COVID-19 during surveillance and case investigation.

The total population of the school, which is comprised of students and staff, is 441, the Lagos State government said.

Giving details of the investigation, Abayomi explained that a 14-year-old SS1 female student took ill on October 3 and was sent home after receiving first aid at the school.

He added that the student subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, October 6 in one of the accredited private laboratories in Lagos.

In a press statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs in the state Ministry of Health, Mr. Tunbosun Ogunbanwo and made available to journalists, the Commissioner assured Lagosians that the state government, through the incident command system, has the situation under control, stressing that appropriate steps have been taken to contain the spread and manage the positive cases.

He noted that all parents have been contacted and counselled via a family zoom call on October 13 to further allay their fears, while communication between school authorities and parents continues.

The zoom call was attended by the commissioners for Health and Education and all relevant responders and stakeholders, the statement said.

“There is a total lockdown and movement restriction in the school with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Pillar of the emergency operations centre and Ibeju-Lekki LGA State Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer reporting at the school daily to conduct further investigation while positive students and staff have been isolated on the premises and given the COVID-19 home-care treatment packs and are being monitored in isolation within the school premises,” Abayomi said.

The Commissioner stated that the school authorities, supported by the State Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, are following the COVID-19 guidelines as set out by the government.

According to him: “Students are to be isolated in the school premises and if unwell, they will be admitted in one of the accredited isolation centres in Lagos.

“Students are discouraged from going home to avoid infecting members of their families.”

He added: “The Ministry of Health is working closely with the Ministry of Education to jointly manage this minor but significant outbreak in this boarding school.

“I am pleased to announce that all the infected students are predominantly asymptomatic while some have very mild symptoms, no student has required hospitalization.

“Members of the Emergency Operation Center and our counterparts in the Ministry of Education have been deployed to the school to provide strategic interventions and support to the school.

“This includes psychosocial support, infection prevention control, medical monitoring and risk communication experts to further enlighten and educate affected people.”

The Commissioner re-emphasised the need for citizens to practise the highest standard of personal and environmental hygiene, stressing the use of face mask in public places, proper hand washing and maintaining physical distance will help prevent the spread of the infection.

“COVID-19 is still very much with us and we must strive to prioritize the safety of all, including students and teachers, by adhering strictly to prevention protocols and guidelines issued by the government to prevent its spread,” Abayomi said.

He urged Lagosians to call the 08000EKOMED or 08000356633 toll-free line if they notice any sign or symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or loss of taste or smell.