BREAKING: COVID-19: UNILAG senate holds emergency meeting, may shut hostels

The Senate of the University of Lagos may shut the institution’s hostels after its emergency meeting on Wednesday.

Sources in the Senate told our correspondent that the meeting was summoned to take a decision on the COVID-19 situation in the school.

“It should be a short meeting. We will be deciding on whether hostels should be shut and if physical classes should continue. Some of the students are already leaving the hostels even before our decision,” the academic staff said.

Our correspondent gathered that the meeting is expected to hold by 2 pm today at J. F. Ade Ajayi Auditorium.

The PUNCH gathered that there is panic among students and staff of the university over cases of COVID-19 recorded in the school.

Some students and lecturers in the university confirmed the development to The PUNCH on the condition of anonymity on Tuesday.

They noted that students and workers in the hostels are mostly affected.

The spokesperson for UNILAG, Nonye Oguama, said “no comment” when contacted on the telephone.

One of the students, who reside in one of the hostels on the university campus, said, “We are having many people falling sick with COVID-19 symptoms. We don’t know what is happening. Many of us have to start going home instead of sleeping in the hostel.”

Another student confirmed that her roommate tested positive and had been isolated.

“Yes, one of my roommates tested positive. After that, we (other roommates) went for the COVID-19 test but returned negative. People are saying that there is Delta variant on campus but I don’t know how true that is,” the undergraduate added.

The management of the university also confirmed that UNILAG medical centre has recorded an increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 symptoms.

It also confirmed that the institution is being affected by a potential third wave of coronavirus in a ‘COVID-19 pandemic update’ published on the university’s website on Tuesday.

The statement read, “The University of Lagos Medical Centre wishes to inform all members of the University of Lagos Community about what appears to be the start of a potential 3rd wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Lagos State.

“The Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu, in his press statement issued on July 11, 2021, stated that since the beginning of July there has been a steep increase in the number of daily confirmed cases, with the test positivity rate going from 1.1% at the end of June 2021, to its current rate of 6.6% as at the 8th of July 2021. This is with a concurrent increase in the occupancy rate at Lagos State isolation centres.

“The University of Lagos community has also been affected by this potential 3rd wave, with an increase in the number of patients presented to the University of Lagos Medical Centre with flu-like symptoms which are similar to COVID-19.

“The Medical Centre hereby assures all members of the University community, that all necessary actions in line with the Federal and Lagos State Government guidelines have been taken regarding this potential threat in our community.

“The Medical Centre will also return to providing EMERGENCY ONLY SERVICES during this period, in order to protect all members of the community from potential infection within the facility. The Medical Centre Emergency Contact line: 09095879781 remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“Despite this threat to the return of normalcy, pursuit of education and daily livelihood, it has become imperative once more to judiciously adhere to the following COVID-19 guidelines and protocols in order to curb the spread of this disease.”