The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Thursday updated the guidelines for the reopening of schools nationwide.

This followed the earlier directive by the PTF that schools were free to reopen as from October 12.

The National Coordinator of the taskforce, Dr Sani Aliyu, said the fresh guidelines were developed by the PTF in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Education  and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

He added, “Schools and educational bodies that plan to reopen must have detailed communication protocols that include parents, school health teams, school authorities and local state officials.

“They must also have a system for providing regular updates for parents, staff and relevant authorities, as well as communicate changes to procedures effectively.

“Specifically, school authorities have the responsibilities to ensure that everyone gaining access to their schools is screened properly.

“Boarding schools must have identified areas for screening and putting positive students aside.

“There must be appropriate waste management systems.

“Health facilities that are within the schools that serve the schools should have the ability to cater for an outbreak and a response protocol must be in place for these schools for students who test positive.”