COVID-19: FG unsure of January 18 resumption date for schools

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said on Monday the Federal Government would review the January 18 date for resumption of schools across Nigeria over the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.

The minister, who disclosed this at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja, said the government was disturbed over the increasing pandemic cases in Nigeria.

The minister said, “On the January 18 resumption date for schools, we are reviewing it. We are going to review it.

“At the PTF meeting today, we considered it, and tomorrow (Tuesday), the ministry is going to take it up.”

Several states in the country had directed all schools including the tertiary institutions to reopen for academic activities on January 18.

Nigeria’s COVID-19 caseload reached the 100, 000 mark on Sunday night after the country’s centre for disease control confirmed 1,024 infections in 17 states in the country.

The country has 100,087 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,358 fatalities as of Sunday night.

However, 80,030 patients have been discharged from the various care centres in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

On a state-by-state basis, Lagos remained the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria with 36,101 confirmed cases and 256 deaths.