Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state has ordered the reopening of schools in the state from September 14 with tertiary institutions the first to open.
The governor announced this on Saturday at a press conference on the 17th update on coronavirus, which held at Lagos House, Marina.
Sanwo-Olu, at the briefing, also launched a COVID-19 Care Pack, which contains medications, hand sanitizer, face masks and handy medical equipment that could be used to check temperature.
The Care Pack is to be given to those who have been confirmed positive of the COVID-19 free of charge and who prefer home-based care.
The re-opening order is coming six months after all tertiary institutions and basic schools were shut on the order of the government, following the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The governor said primary and secondary schools would re-open from September 21, 2020, adding however, that the decision is subject to a review of ongoing modelling of the state’s response to the pandemic.
Lagos restaurants, recreational centres reopen
Restaurants, Sanwo-Olu said, are permitted to open for in-dining services, and they must ensure the maintenance of a 50 percent maximum occupancy at any point in time.
“They must also have obtained a Provisional Safety Compliance Certificate through the registration portal of the Lagos State Safety Commission: www.lasgsafetyreg.com.
“Social clubs and recreational centres that have registered trustees have also been permitted to open, on the condition that they have applied for and obtained a Provisional Safety Compliance Certificate through the registration portal of the Lagos State Safety Commission.
He said the government is sympathetic to the plight of business owners, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors but is still reviewing the permissible opening dates for these businesses and will advise on this during the month of September.
“For the avoidance of doubt, all event centres, bars, lounges, night clubs, spas, beaches, cinemas, gyms and game arcades remain closed for now.
“All civil servants in the state’s unified public service system are to comply with prevailing guidelines and roster schedules issued by the Head of Service and/or their MDAs, Sanwo-Olu said.
He said in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive on the opening of commencement of international flights, “we will be visiting the International Airport to gauge the level of preparedness and other ancillary matters.”
He promised that the government “will continue to keep you informed and updated on the decisions that we are taking in response to the pandemic. We will also continue to ask for your understanding and cooperation.
“These are challenging times for all of us, requiring extra levels of patience, sacrifice and understanding.”
“The fact that we have been seeing a gradual easing of the lockdown does not mean that we are now returning to our old way of doing things. The easing you are seeing is the outcome of a careful and deliberate attempt to ensure that livelihoods are not crippled by the overwhelmingly disruptive impact of the virus.
“It is certainly not an invitation to carelessness or nonchalance,” the governor said, adding, “I must however say that even as we continue to record a decline in the number of newly confirmed cases in the State, this is not the time to rest on our oars and completely disregard the very necessary safety precautions that have been issued for our safety and well-being.”
The governor also disclosed that the State’s Deputy Incident Commander and Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, had been discharging his duty and responding to treatment, adding that the Commissioner remained asymptomatic.
