The Lagos State Government has directed its civil servants from grade levels one to 12 to work from home for the next 14 days. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who stated this while giving updates on Coronavirus said the directive does not affect those on essential services and emergencies, which include safety agencies and emergency first responders.
The governor, who is also the Chief Incident Commander of Coronavirus in the state, said the state government took the proactive measures to ensure better public safety. He implored all residents, formations, religious, traditional and market leaders to practice high level of personal hygiene demanding that they cooperate with his administration to address and curtail the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
He cautioned residents of the state against panic, stressing that the elderly and the vulnerable should take special precautions to take care of their health, which include social distancing. Sanwo-Olu assured that the state government was working on how to cushion and address the socio-economic effects of the pandemic on Lagos people, especially the less privileged.
Besides, Director General, Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, has restated the need for public and private schools to adhere strictly to the state government’s directive on closure of schools from Monday, March 23, 2020.
In a statement yesterday by Seriki-Ayeni, evaluators have been mandated to monitor compliance to the directives of Governor Sanwo-Olu to stop the spread of Coronavirus to ensure public safety. “Schools intending to hold special sessions or write examinations before the date should desist from doing so. This would be contrary to government’s directives that all social gatherings with over 50 persons remain banned.
“In line with the recent developments of COVID-19, all principals and school owners are advised to note that failure to adhere to these directives may endanger the lives of students and teachers, which violate the Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
“Parents are advised to ensure that their children stay at home. No child should be sent to any tutorial centre or camp as this poses the same danger to their health and the larger community. All students must be informed on the basic precautionary methods and hygienic practices which include giving social distance, avoiding large gatherings and close contact with sick persons, regular hand washing and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers,” the statement added.
