In Lekki area of Lagos 181 pupils of a private school have tested positive for COVID-19.
A statement signed By Tubosun Ogunbanwo on behalf of the Ministry of Health says the total population of the school including staff members is 441.
This has been confirmed by the Lagos State Government Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who broke the news and said this was discovered during the surveillance and case investigation in the school.
Giving details of the investigation, Abayomi explained that a 14-year-old Senior Secondary 1 female student fell ill on 3rd of October and was sent home after receiving first aid at the school.
He added that the student subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday 6th of October in one of the accredited private labs in Lagos.
The Commissioner assured Lagosians that the State government, through the incident commands system, has the situation under control, stressing that appropriate steps have been taken to contain the spread and manage the positive cases.
According to him, all parents have been contacted and counselled via a family zoom call on 13th October to further allay their fears and 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.
“There is a total lockdown and movement restriction in the school with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Pillar of the EOC and Ibeju-Lekki LGA State Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer, DSNO, 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 will be admitted in one of the accredited isolation centers in Lagos. Students are discouraged from going home to avoid infecting members of their families”.
“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 added.
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.
