Anambra: Anxiety as NYSC records one suspected COVID-19 case

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Anambra says one prospective corps member in Anambra has been diagnosed with a possible case of COVID-19. Mr. Kehinde Aremu, Coordinator of the scheme said this on Monday during the swearing-in of 800 members of 2020 Batch ‘B’ stream 1A corps members at the permanent orientation camp, Umuawulu/Mbaukwu. Aremu said the suspect had been handed over to the government through the disease management team.

He said NYSC was working with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to enable it to manage the corps members as well as ensure operations of the scheme were not interrupted. “All our activities are arranged sequentially and in agreement with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) and NCDC guidelines whose officials are also residents here to administer COVID-19 tests on both camp officials and corps members.

“We had a single case which the state government had already taken care of through the state disease management team,” he said. The Coordinator said that the number of corps members was reduced to ensure strict compliance with the NCDC guidelines,. He said the batch would be admitted to camp in batch 200 adding that the leftovers would be captured in the next batch. “We are only 800 corps members in the state, and even that number was segmented into four batches of 200.

“This measure will enable us to manage the crowd, this camp has the capability for 3,000 corps members but we staggered it so that each corps member is entitled to a double bunk bed,” he said. Aremu said there were enough hand wash facilities, soap, sanitizers, and a steady water supply. Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, Secretary to the State Government, who represented the governor, Chief Willy Obiano, commended the corps members’ contributions to bridging the manpower gap in the educational and health sectors of the state.

He pledged the government’s commitment to continue support to the NYSC amidst the COVID-19 scourge challenge. Vanguard