The Cross River State Government has begun moves to reopen schools which were shut down because of the coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic.

The Commissioner for Health and Chairman of the COVID-19 Response Task Force, Dr. Betta Edu, revealed this in a media briefing on Tuesday.

He said a trial resumption was carried out in three schools on June 16.

“We will commence training for Headteachers and principals of schools working with the Ministry of Education to prepare them for school resumption which might happen anytime soon,” he said.

Adding,

“Government has commenced massive screening for persons at border communities and areas of interest.

“We continue to solicit well-meaning individuals for enforcement of safety public health guidelines in our populations. Churches, CSOs (civil society organisations), private sector organizations and the traditional institutions should promote the need for our citizens to take personal responsibilities for full implementation of our preventive measures.”

She said one of the challenges the state is facing is

“Failure of NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control) to respond to our request for testing site at Lawrence Henshaw Memorial Hospital and UCTH (University of Calabar Teaching Hospital) despite the provision by the Cross River State government of a PCR machine and Gene-Xpert machines in at least two facilities in Calabar.

“The travel distance, risks, delays at the testing centre sometimes due to lack of reagents, extraction kits, etc. and costs involved may have possible effects on waiting time of the various samples which eventually get tested. We continue to work and improve on all these fronts, provide vehicles for the teams to move around easily and carry out their duties.”

Edu disclosed that so far at least 400 volunteer staff have been trained in case of management, adding that the World Health Organisation and NCDC, as well as the state Ministry of Health, assisted in the training of some of the volunteer staff.

She further disclosed that

“a total of 15 admissions have been registered in the CRS COVID-19 Facility in UCTH. All cases were treated as COVID-19 and all care that any COVID-19 patient would receive was given to them free of charge.

“We have recorded four mortalities and all test results have been negative. Most patients who were suspected cases in other facilities didn’t meet case definition but were all treated and discharged home in good health and have all remained well on follow up while no one around them have showed any sign or symptoms of COVID-19 as well as the caregivers who attended to them.

“Those who passed on were aged and had serious health condition before this time including asthma, diabetes, chronic renal failure, hypertension, etc.”