Ondo State Government on Wednesday threatened to close down any school in the state, either public or private, that violates or fails to comply, uphold and enforce COVID-19 preventive protocols.
The State Chairman, Interministerial Committee on COVID-19, Professor Adesegun Fatusi and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Hon. Jibayo Adeyeye stated this during an inspection of schools across the state.
The State Chairman of the Committee, Fatusi frowned over the attitude of some schools and low level of compliance to COVID-19 preventive guidelines
According to him, some schools failed to provide handwashing facilities, while their students are moving about the school compound without nose masks and were allowed into the school.
While commending the management of some schools where COVID-19 protocols are being observed, Fatusi urged the students to be COVID-19 prevention Ambassadors in their homes and communities.
He urged them to encourage their parents to use nose masks, stressing that the state values every life.
The Chairman also implored school authorities where classes were overcrowded to promote physical distancing in classes while calling on the Parents Teachers Association to join hands in the fight against the virus by monitoring students in their classes and ensure the COVID-19 prevention mechanism is sustainable in schools.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the governor on Health and Acting Commissioner for Health in the State, Hon. Jibayo Adeyeye noted that fragrant neglect of COVID-19 protocols among staff and students put schools at high risk of spreading Coronavirus within communities.
He noted that if care is not taken students who contract the virus in school would spread it in their homes and other places of engagements.
He said the government will not hesitate to close down schools that failed to comply with the COVID-19 protocols in the interest of the community, saying that government COVID-19 Inspectors will be dispatched to monitor compliance in schools.
Adeyeye charged teachers and students to continue doing what is right, obey COVID-19 universal prevention protocols, in order to mitigate the spread of the pandemic.
One of the Principal, Mrs Adeola Akinseloyin of St. Monica’s Grammar School, Ondo, said teachers on a daily basis continue to remind the students that COVID-19 spreads easily even by those showing no symptoms, as such they must obey guidelines.
She disclosed that the state government had earlier trained teachers and headteachers on how to prevent the spread of the virus before schools resumed in the state.
She noted that this training has helped teachers to adequately train and educate the students on how they can make themselves safer during this period.
Some of the schools visited are St. Joseph’s College, Ondo, St. Monica’s Grammar School, Ondo, Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure, St. Louis Grammar School, Akure, Aquinas College, Akure, among others.