Oyo State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA on Thursday warned against reopening schools, saying it is not yet safe
The Oyo state government had ordered resumption of classes for Primary Six, JSS3 and SS3 students from Monday, June 29; resumption of work by all categories of workers at the state secretariat from June 22; opening up of mosques and churches, which are to operate at 25 per cent capacity; and the decision to limit public gathering to not more than 25 persons.
But the Oyo NMA, in a press statement, said from statistics at hand, the decisions, although with good intentions, may not be safe for the school pupils and indeed the citizens of the state at large at this time that the disease appears to be on the increase.
In the statement jointly signed by the NMA chairman, Akin Sodipo and Secretary, Okuwaseun Adebayo, both medical doctors, the association described the announcement by the state government that final year primary and secondary school students should resume on the 29th of June, as a surprising one.
According to the association, being a critical stakeholder in the war against the pandemic, it has been following closely the progression of the disease and its attendant morbidities and modalities within the state and the country at large and can conveniently say it is not safe now.
The association then appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to reconsider his decision to reopen schools and religious centers for the time being.
It however commended the efforts of the Seyi Makinde-led COVID-19 taskforce in Oyo State for its efforts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in the state.
