Coronavirus: Lagos State Government Orders Closure Of Schools, Restricts Religious Gathering To 50 Persons

The Lagos State Government has ordered for closure of all schools with effect from March 23 just as it restricted religious gatherings to a maximum of 50 persons.

These constitute part of its emergency measures to tackle spread of Coronavirus in the state.

The closure of schools was announced by the state Commissioner for Education, Folashade Adefisayo, in a statement.

She said the move became necessary to prevent children and their teachers from getting more vulnerable to the pandemic.

The statement advised parents to ensure that their children practise “social distancing” while at home, wash their hands regularly or use hand sanitisers and observe high standards of personal hygiene.

Adefisayo said “The closure is not intended to create panic but to arrest the spread of the disease, which has become a global threat.

“Children should be encouraged to remain at home.”

She assured that the Lagos Incident Command Centre, headed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, would continue to trace all contacts of the identified cases.

The Commissioner encouraged anyone who has information about suspected cases to report to the nearest hospital or call the emergency telephone numbers: 08023169485, 08033565529, 08052817243 and 08023401214.

The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Olanrewaju Elegushi, announced this to newsmen in Ikeja after a closed-door meeting with religious leaders in the state on the issue of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

Elegushi said that the decision was taken in the interest of Lagosians and necessary toward curbing the spread of the ravaging coronavirus.

“We met with religious leaders both Christians and Muslims. We discussed, argued and realised that the lives of Lagosians is important to us. We prefer to offend people than to kill our people.