By Dele Moses, Ilorin
Management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme has suspended the ongoing orientation course for the 2020 Batch “A’ Stream 1 Corps members nationwide.
This is even as Katsina State on Wednesday announced her first suspected case of COVID 19, since the outbreak of the Global pandemic early December last year
The NYSC management in a notice said it took the decision as a result of the outbreak of coronavirus which is spreading across the globe and which has claimed many lives.
The NYSC leadership said the Corps members would leave the orientation camps for where they would be posted to commence their primary assignments and return to the camps to conclude the orientation course as soon as the situation improves.
The suspension of the orientation programme was taken not because the virus has spread to the camps but as a proactive measure to forestall the spread as according to the notice the copy of which was obtained from the NYSC office in Ilorin no Corps member or Camp official has contracted the virus.
The notice reads: “Sequel to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic which led to the cancellation of the National Sports Festival, management of the National Youth Service Corps Scheme wishes to announce the suspension of the ongoing orientation course for the 2020 Batch “A’ Stream 1 Corps Members.
“Therefore, the Corps Members shall be posted to commence their primary assignments forthwith, while they shall be invited back to the Orientation camps when the situation improves, just like it happened a few years ago when the nation was confronted by the Ebola virus threat.
“Management wishes to state that no Corps Member or Camp Official has contracted the virus.”
Meanwhile, Katsina state on Wednesday announced her first suspected case.
The Permanent Secretary of the State’s Ministry of Health, Dr Kabir Musptapha, told newsmen during a briefing, that the patient who is presently on self isolation returned from Malaysia and developed symptoms that warrant further investigations.
He further disclosed that the patient’s samples have been taking and that results were being expected on Thursday adding that contact tracing will commence as soon as the test results are out.
He said: ‘’The ministry is taking all precautionary measures and closely working with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on the matter’’
