Tests conducted on students currently writing the senior school certificate examination in Bayelsa State have shown that 20 of them have shown traces of Covid-19. This was made known by the state task force on Covid-19 said on Monday.
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”sswikmys7n” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”0″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and secretary of the task force, Dr. Inodu Apoku, disclosed this at a meeting of the task force presided over by the governor, Douye Diri, at Government House, Yenagoa.
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”sswikmys7n” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”0″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]Apoku said the 20 positive cases were among 600 candidates writing the examinations conducted by West African Examination Council that were screened.
The permanent secretary said so far, the state had tested 10,234 cases out of which 370 were confirmed positive, number of active cases was 24 while total number of deaths was 21. However, authorities in the state believe that the situation has improved enough for the state workforce to return to their duty posts.
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”sswikmys7n” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”0″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]That was why the governor at the meeting directed all civil servants from grade levels 1-12 to resume work from Tuesday, September 1.
The workers had been on break from work since March 26 when the Covid-19 pandemic first spread to the state.
The governor said the COVID-19 restrictions were being reviewed following the flattening of the pandemic curve in the state.
He directed the Head of Service, Biobelemoye Charles-Onyeama, to ensure that workers observed all COVID-19 safety guidelines when they resume.
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”sswikmys7n” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”0″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]On the resumption of schools, the governor noted that while students in terminal classes were writing their examinations, he directed that all primary six pupils to also resume academic activities as the government was evaluating the situation pending when other classes would resume.
Diri, who stressed that the presidential curfew from 10 pm to 4am was still in place, insisted on the use of face masks, sanitisers and maintaining social distance in order to avert a second wave of the infection as predicted by health experts.
“We insist on the use of face masks, especially in urban areas. We are appealing to the sensibilities of people to comply with the COVID-19 protocols and we need to sustain the enlightenment on the existence of the virus.
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”sswikmys7n” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”0″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]“Our duty is to ensure that the presidential directive on the curfew is obeyed and fully implemented. We do not want to be seen as a state that is acting contrary to such directives,” he said.
[rw_inline id=”16441″]
WhatsApp us