181 students, staff of Lagos school test positive for COVID-19

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, has announced that 181 students and staff of a private boarding school in the Lekki area of Lagos State have tested positive for COVID-19.

He said the cases were discovered during surveillance and investigation in the school.

According to him, there are 441 students and staff in the school.

Abayomi explained that a 14-year-old SS1 female student fell ill on October 3 and was sent home after receiving first aid at the school.

He added that the student was later found to have tested positive for COVID-19 on October 6 and 180 additional cases were afterward detected.

The commissioner, however, said the situation was under control, adding that appropriate steps had been taken to avert the spread and manage the positive cases.

Parents of the students, he said, had been contacted and told not to panic.

He said, “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.”

He praised the school authorities for its support during the investigation and the situation management, adding that the state ministry of health and ministry of education were following the COVID-19 guidelines as set out by the government.

“Students are to be isolated in the school premises and if unwell will be admitted in one of the accredited isolation centres in Lagos,” he said.

The commissioner also said, “Students are discouraged from going home to avoid infecting members of their families.

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

“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 government to prevent its spread.”