Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has approved October 8 as the new resumption date for private and government-owned schools in the state despite having cleared the last suspected case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state.
Fashola made the approval at a stakeholders’ forum held on Sunday at Lagos Television Blue Roof, Agindigbi, Ikeja. The forum was attended by headteachers and principals of schools in the state.
According to the governor, the shift in date is to allow for adequate distribution of Ebola preventive materials in schools across the state.
The federal government had earlier directed schools to resume on September 22 as it said the Ebola virus has been contained in the country. The Lagos State government followed suit announcing that the Ebola Virus Disease, for which the resumption was initially postponed had been significantly contained as there was no carrier in the state at the moment.
“Considering the current report, it is clear that the risk of infection with the EVD in the state has been significantly reduced.
“Health professionals working on the outbreak are also in agreement that there was no reason why schools should be closed beyond September 22,” the government had said in a press release issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, Mr. Lateef Raji.
However, considering the importance of adequate distribution of Ebola preventive materials in schools across the state, the state government decided to extend the resumption date earlier announced by two weeks.
