The Rivers commissioner for health, Dr Sampson Parker, said on Thursday that Schools in Rivers State will not resume on September 22.
Parker made the disclosure in Port Harcourt while giving newsmen an update on the fight against Ebola outbreak in the state. He also said the Federal Government had approved N200m for the state to fight Ebola Virus Disease.
He said the state was optimistic that the approved money would be released soon to assist it consolidate on the gains made so far in the fight against Ebola disease.
Parker said the state government had earlier released N300m in addition to donations from corporate organisations which could not be quantified in monetary terms.
The commissioner said 264 persons were still under surveillance in the state and it would not be proper to re-open schools.
“It is not right to resume schools under this condition. By Sept. 22, a huge number of those under surveillance would not have been released, therefore, schools cannot resume on Sept. 22,’’ he said.
According to Parker, the sensitisation exercise and the training of teachers on Ebola disease would continue because the viral disease could not be controlled in six months.
“Although, we have made success here, it is not time to celebrate. Presently, there is no case at the quarantine and treatment centre.
“Viral disease is not something you control for six months and think its over. Its a continuous exercise.
“Therefore, the sensitisation exercise will continue and we must be highly red alert,’’ he said.
Parker also said that the widow of Dr Ike Enemuo, the Port Harcourt-based medical practitioner, who died of Ebola disease was okay.
“The good news is that Dr Enemuo’s widow is now fine and well,’’ he said.
The commissioner said that the best way to check the ebola virus spread was to tackle it in Liberia and other countries hit by the disease.
He said Nigerians and citizens of other West African countries were bound to travel and that if the disease was not tackled in affected countries, the successes recorded in Nigeria would be rubbished.
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