The Ogun State government has instructed that returning boarding house students of secondary schools must take COVID19 and malaria tests as condition for admittance into their various hostels.
The announcement was made on Saturday by the governor’s Special Assistant on Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs Ronke Soyombo.
Soyombo said that the Health Ministry has completed arrangements to attend to students who will take the Covid19 and Malaria tests. Three public health facilities have been earmarked for the exercise.
The facilities include: the 250 MTR opposite the State Secretariat in the Okemosan area of Abeokuta, Ogun State General Hospital and the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu.
Ronke Soyombo added that the tests were part of government’s efforts at averting a spike in the spread of covid19. It will also ensure a safe learning environment for teachers and students of public and private schools.
She enjoined school authorities to comply with the directive which is in line with the health safety protocols of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Speaking further, the governor’s aide said that, “All returning boarding students are to stay in the school hostels only. Parents are hereby advised that private hostels are exempted from accommodating students during this period to ensure strict compliance with NCDC directives.”
She added that presentation of negative results of covid19 and malaria tests remain a “strong condition for admittance” into hostels.
“To this end, all principals are therefore directed to immediately disseminate the above information to all SS3 students in the state and to ensure that the above instructions are strictly adhered to as sanctions will be meted out to any defaulting school.”