Ebola: Rivers to Shut Down Schools Without Pipe-Borne Water

The Rivers State Government has warned that it would shut down all primary and secondary schools that lack pipe borne water across the state.

Alice Nemi, the State Commissioner for Education gave the warning in Port Harcourt during a sensitisation workshop on Ebola Virus Disease, EVD.

Speaking at the workshop, which was jointly organised by the state ministry of education and ministry of health for teachers in public and private schools in the state, the commissioner said the availability of potable water would ensure that the teachers, pupils and students washed their hands regularly with soap. She noted that regular hand washing and evading body contacts are necessary to prevent the spread of Ebola virus.

Dora Era, a member of Ebola Emergency Response Committee, EERC, in Rivers, said that the Infra Red Thermometer was being used to check temperature of persons entering the state.

Era said many victims of Ebola virus were health workers adding that improper handling of the Personal Protective Equipment, PPE by health workers in Liberia had contributed to the high rate of deaths recorded in the country.

The proper ways to wash hands and how to use the PPE were demonstrated to participants at the workshop.

However, the health commissioner had not disclosed when inspection of the schools would start in the state to shut down schools that have no pipe-borne water.