Bayelsa schools ready, safe to reopen – Diri

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, said on Tuesday the state government had put in place measures to check the spread of COVID-19 among students who would return to school on Wednesday.

Diri, who disclosed this at the “Safe school reopening train-the-trainer” programme in Yenagoa, said the government had provided 10,000 face masks, temperature scanners, soap, and water for all public and private schools in the state.

He added that schools in the state are ready and safe to reopen for academic activities.

The governor also inaugurated a 10-member Safe Schools Reopening Committee headed by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Peter Akpe, to monitor implementation of the safety protocols across the state.

He urged the committee to ensure compliance with the safety protocols to curb the spread of the virus among the students.

He noted that Bayelsa had recorded 339 COVID-19 cases as at Tuesday evening.

Dike said: “Rivers had 1,842 cases and Delta 1,520. Our state was listed the 23rd out of 36 states in infection rate.”

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Bayelsa govt issues guidelines for reopening of schools

He attributed the low infection rate in the state to strict enforcement of the COVID-19 protocols and the commitment of healthcare professionals.

The governor added: “Our commitment to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which has ravaged the entire globe, is total.

“Out of the responsibility for the health of our dear children, we decided to close schools on March 26 even before we recorded the index case in Bayelsa, on April 27, 2020.

“I commend the efforts of our healthcare professionals who I describe as generals in the battlefield.

“With the steps we have taken, teachers have joined in the frontlines of the battle against the pandemic.

“We seek the cooperation of parents, teachers and other stakeholders to prevent teacher-to-student transmission of the virus and vice versa.”

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