New Telegraph 
*Deploys experts to infected school
Muritala Ayinla
Barely three weeks after it confirmed COVID-19 cases in a private boarding school in Lekki, the Lagos State government has again confirmed another six cases of COVID-19 in a secondary boarding school on the mainland.
New Telegraph learnt a member of the school’s staff was initially confirmed positive for the deadly virus on November 2 while the state government later discovered that a student and four contacts of the staff member also tested positive for COVID-19.
It was learnt that the staff member fell ill for a few days and received first aid at the school clinic. She subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, November 2 at the Lagos State Biobank.
Consequently, members of the Emergency Operation Center Lagos, NCDC, and officials in the Ministry of Education have been deployed in the school to provide strategic interventions and support.
Confirming the incident, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, said that the Lagos State COVID-19 Incident Command System through the Emergency Operation Center is investigating the incident; even as it assured members of the public and stakeholders of the school that the situation is completely under control.
Following the discovery, New Telegraph gathered that the school authorities, supported by Lagos State Ministry of Health (LSMOH), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the Ministry of Education, had to step up adherence to the COVID-19 guidelines as set out by the government while the students who tested positive 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.
He added that steps are being taken to contain the spread within the school and reduce exposure to the outside community. All parents are being contacted first through the PTA and a family zoom call is being arranged to further allay their fears.
He said: “It is important to note that COVID-19 presents with very mild symptoms in children and teenagers, compared to other age groups. However, there is the risk of infected children transmitting the disease to adults who they interact with daily, and who may be at higher risk of severe disease and death. The Ministry of Health and NCDC is working closely with the Ministry of Education through a joint approach to manage the outbreak in this school. Most of the infected persons are predominantly asymptomatic while some have mild symptoms.
“Members of the Emergency Operation Center Lagos, NCDC, and our counterparts in the Ministry of Education have been deployed in the school to provide strategic interventions and support. These include psychosocial support, infection prevention control, medical monitoring and risk communication experts to further enlighten affected people.
“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.”
