Coronavirus: Nigerian university orders returning staff to embark on self-quarantine

The Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi has ordered the self- quarantine of its holidaying staff returning from abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Chinedum Nwajiuba, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor made this known while inaugurating a 13-member committee on sensitisation of staff members and students on the deadly disease on Friday in Ndufu-Alike.

Mr Nwajiuba said that the decision was reached after the inaugural meeting of the committee which consisted of members trained in various fields.

“We agreed that all staff returning from abroad after the holidays will first report to the institution’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) on phone.

“They will then proceed on a week self-quarantine before reporting for work and any symptom should be reported to the school’s medical centre,” he said.

The vice-chancellor said that the students are expected back from March 28, adding that necessary precautions steps were already in place.

“We have directed all staff and students to procure hand sanitisers while returning to school while we will provide ‘veronica-buckets’, water, disinfectants, around classrooms, administration blocks, laboratory among other points.

“One of our core mandate is community service and we are going to pass the same message to our host community and environs.

“The indigenes are going to be properly enlightened on ways of maintaining proper hygiene, proper ways of sneezing among others,” he said.

He said that the sensitisation campaign will also harp on the economic consequences of the pandemic, to make the nation’s economic administrators focus more on measures to make the country less dependent on oil.

Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Henry Aloh, said that the committee had been mandated to carry out enlightenment on the coronavirus and Lassa Fever as a proactive measure.

“This is for protection from the virus and other infectious diseases by imbibing adequate personal hygiene which includes regular hand washing, avoiding touching ones face with unclean hands, avoiding crowded environment when necessary, among others.

“People should also be enlightened to advise others to report immediately to health facilities when they fall sick and we would achieve this through the social media and other communication outlets,” he said.

He said that Lassa Fever has a higher awareness demand locally.

“We know that its commonest symptoms include: fever, body pains, malaise, body pains, headache and hemorrhagic symptoms and we have developed a monitoring protocol among health workers,” he said.

(NAN)