Teachers in Nigeria’s Southeast region have been charged to test for COVID-19 before returning to the classroom.

This was announced by Dave Umahi, the Chairman of Southeast Governors’ Forum, in Abakaliki on Sunday after a virtual meeting of the group.

At the moment, there are 2,633 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region, comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo State.

“This is because they love themselves and must always stay together and a part of the protocols of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is that people must wash their hands with running water.”

“You will ask how many of our schools have running water and how many sanitisers have been provided for them.”

“It is rainy season presently and most schools are bushy and have been abandoned since March due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Umahi said the forum decided to review school infrastructure in the zone to support NCDC protocols and subsequently wait for the Federal Government to make a final statement on schools reopening.

“We will then review our position and tell our people the safest time to reopen schools with our health workers sent to enforce the NCDC protocols,” the governor said.