UPDATE - Coronavirus: Lagos govt shuts public, private schools

The Lagos State Government has ordered the closure of all public and private schools due to the coronavirus outbreak...

The order is effective from Monday, March 23, 2020.

The decision was contained in a statement Wednesday night by the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo.

She said the move became necessary to prevent children and their teachers from getting more vulnerable.

“It is important for parents to ensure that their children practise ‘social distancing’ while at home, wash their hands regularly or use hand sanitisers and observe high standards of personal hygiene.

“Children should be encouraged to remain at home. The closure is not intended to create panic but to arrest the spread of the disease, which has become a global threat,” it read.

Lagos government had earlier in the day announced that it would ask religious centres to suspend mass gatherings.

Meanwhile, the United States has stopped visa appointment for Nigerians.

This followed Nigeria’s travel ban on America and 12 other countries.

Coronavirus has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Nigeria has reported more cases of the disease which broke out from Wuhan, China, in December.

Over 6,500 people have been killed across the world and 27 African countries affected.