- Title: NIGERIA-HEALTH EBOLA/SCHOOLS REOPEN Nigeria schools reopen after Ebola break
- Date: 22nd September 2014
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (SEPTEMBER 22, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STUDENTS BEING SCANNED FOR SIGNS OF FEVER STUDENT WASHING HIS HANDS PAPER SIGN HANGING ON WALL WITH ENGLISH WRITING, READING: "PRESS THE TAP HEAD DOWN" MORE OF STUDENTS WASHING THEIR HANDS STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND SOME PARENTS BY SCHOOL GATE GETTING SCREENED SCHOOL PRINCIPAL REISKY BENSON WITH STAFF (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIVINE GRACE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, ABUJA, REISKY BENSON, SAYING: "We have a trained nurse who will take appropriate measures to isolate anybody that is sick. As a matter of fact, we don't want to take any chances. Any form of high temperature, once the person is able to beat our security check, which I think is very difficult, the teacher that will be in the class will immediately alert the nurse who will take appropriate care so we are fully aware." PARENT DROPPING OFF HER CHILDREN AT SCHOOL CHILDREN BEING SCREENED (SOUNDBITE) (English) PARENT, UDUAK UGUMODE, SAYING: "We attended some parents talk and what we should do and we have advised our children on what they should do and the health measures they too should take so we have done our part as parents and the school too they've taken.. they have taken their own measures too." CLEANERS CLOTHED IN OVERALLS, FACE MASKS AND GLOVES WALKING VARIOUS OF SCHOOL NURSE HELPING CLEANER GET INTO PROTECTIVE GEAR VARIOUS OF CLEANERS CLEANING RESTROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) PARENT, PEDRO CHARLES BABAJIDE, SAYING: "Initially, when you come you are being allowed into the school compound. But now to actually prevent such outbreak you are not allowed to go in. You park your car outside and from the gate your temperature is being, you know, measured. And I can see that when I went in. I saw the environment is very clean and every other thing they put in place so there is no fear. There is no cause for alarm." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS LAGOS, NIGERIA (SEPTEMBER 22, 2014) (REUTERS) CHILDREN GETTING OFF SCHOOL VAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) PUPIL, NNEKA CHIOKE, SAYING: "They checked my temperature and she sanitised my hand before entering the bus." VARIOUS OF PUPILS WASHING THEIR HANDS / TEACHERS SUPERVISING HAND SANITISERS DISPLAYED BOY WASHING HIS HANDS TEACHER CHECKING TEMPERATURE OF PARENT TEMPERATURE SCANNER READING 35.2 VARIOUS OF TEACHERS AND PARENTS WALKING IN / SANITISING THEIR HANDS WALL SANITISER READING AUTOMATIC SOAP DISPENSER EXTERIOR OF NIGERIAN UNION OF TEACHERS OFFICE NIGERIAN UNION OF TEACHERS CHAIRMAN SPEAKING WITH COLLEAGUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN, STATE CHAPTER OF NIGERIAN UNION OF TEACHERS, ADESEGUN RAHEEM, SAYING: "They should also look into how the inspectors and quality assurance agencies will get to these private schools to monitor and actually confirm that these things are in place. All these are ways to make sure that Ebola does not come back to Nigeria through schools. Unfortunately in Lagos state, the time was winding up, we didn't see any trace of all of these gadgets, that was where agitation commenced." VARIOUS OF PUPILS LEARNING HAND WASHING TECHNIQUES
- Embargoed: 7th October 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVADYMMPBTFVLZOJ4CL6IRFL6A7G
- Story Text: Many Nigerian schools reopened on Monday (September 22) following an Ebola break to try to help stem the spread of the virus.
Private schools have stepped up their screening and education efforts for parents and students alike.
In the capital Abuja, the principal of Divine Grace primary and secondary school said the correct procedures are being followed.
"We have a trained nurse who will take appropriate measures to isolate anybody that is sick. As a matter of fact, we don't want to take any chances. Any form of high temperature, once the person is able to beat our security check, which I think is very difficult, the teacher that will be in the class will immediately alert the nurse who will take appropriate care so we are fully aware," school principal Reisky Benson said.
Parents taking their children to the school were also made aware of the new guidelines.
"We attended some parents talk and what we should do and we have advised our children on what they should do and the health measures they too should take so we have done our part as parents and the school too they've taken.. they have taken their own measures too," said parent Uduak Ugumode.
Another parent, Pedro Charles Babajide, said he had been impressed by the hygiene inside the school complex.
"Initially, when you come you are being allowed into the school compound. But now to actually prevent such outbreak you are not allowed to go in. You park your car outside and from the gate your temperature is being, you know, measured. And I can see that when I went in. I saw the environment is very clean and every other thing they put in place so there is no fear. There is no cause for alarm," Babajide said.
In Lagos, young children were also screened for symptoms of Ebola.
"They checked my temperature and she sanitised my hand before entering the bus," said one young girl, Nneka Chioke.
Some schools in Nigeria are not allowing students back until October.
The Nigerian Union of Teachers said it's now a requirement for all schools to have available items such as gloves, sanitisers and infra-red scanners.
The union's Lagos chapter said checks and balances should be in place to ensure all schools comply.
"They should also look into how the inspectors and quality assurance agencies will get to these private schools to monitor and actually confirm that these things are in place. All these are ways to make sure that Ebola does not come back to Nigeria through schools. Unfortunately in Lagos state, the time was winding up, we didn't see any trace of all of these gadgets, that was where agitation commenced," said Adesegun Raheem, the chairman of the union in Lagos.
The World Health Organization said on Monday Nigeria was one of two countries where the Ebola outbreak was "pretty much contained" but the virus remains a public health emergency of international concern.
The WHO's latest report said the overall death toll has risen to 2,793 out of 5,762 cases.
There were no new deaths in Guinea, four in Sierra Leone and 39 in Liberia.
A separate Ebola outbreak has killed 40 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there have been 71 cases.
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