Govt insists on Sept 22 for resumption of schools

Despite a protest by some stakeholders, the Federal Government will not review the September 22, 2014 it has fixed for schools to resume. Indeed, the government said Wednesday that the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak was being effectively handled and that there was no scientific reason primary and secondary schools should not resume as scheduled. While confirming the date, the Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, pleaded with Nigerians to allow the Federal Government to handle the EVD with its attendant issues. The minister also said that the United States donated hand-held infrared, instead of the 30 scanners, which the U.S. ambassador actually announced to Nigerians last month in the wake of the EVD. Briefing State House correspondents after giving an update on the EVD to the Federal Executive Council ( FEC), the minister said  that there were 19 confirmed cases in Nigeria as at Wednesday. Fifteen of the figures were diagnosed in Lagos, while four were diagnosed in Port Harcourt. According to him, contrary to reports in some sections of the media, there was no fresh case of the disease throughout this week, adding that the 19th case had been under investigation. He said the number of cases treated in the facilities either in Lagos or Port Harcourt stood at 10. He said the last two cases were discharged this week. Just on Sunday, the sister of the Port Harcourt doctor, who had died from the EVD was discharged from the isolation ward in Rivers State. Just yesterday (Tuesday) the wife of that doctor was discharged from the isolation ward in Lagos.

Guardian Newspaper