As Nigeria battles to curtail the spread of COVID-19, it has suspended orientation of fresh graduates going for the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The action was taken as the nation records its third case of coronavirus.
The NYSC announced the closure of the orientation camps nationwide on Wednesday, asking more than 500,000 fresh graduates for the national service to remain at home for the time being.
The Batch A corps members began their orientation on March 10, and were expected to be in their camps for 21 days.
The country on Tuesday announced its third case of Coronavirus involving a 30-year-old Nigerian female, who returned from the UK and tested positive.
The government has also prohibited officials from embarking on foreign trips.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, announced the ban on Tuesday at the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Task Force Team on the COVID-19.
He advised Nigerians coming in from outside the country to go into self-isolation for 14 days to ensure that they do not pose a threat to their immediate environment.
The first index case involved an Italian, who was in Nigeria for a business purpose and the second case was a Nigerian, who had contact with the Italian.
Both have been successfully treated.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora,, has declared China, Japan, Iran, Italy, Republic of Korea, France and Germany as countries at high risk and explained that travellers from these eight countries will undertake secondary screening at the point of entry.
He also advised that the passengers should self-isolate for 14 days on entry into the country.
The 2020 edition of the National Sports Festival scheduled to hold in Edo state has been postponed.
The decision was reached after a meeting with the Minister of Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare, his health counterpart, Dr. Osagie Ehanire and a few other experts at the Health Ministry.
The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has announced the postponement of its 9th convocation ceremony slated for Saturday, March 21, at its Headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, on health grounds.
About 25, 000 graduating students were expected to participate in the ceremony.
Nigeria is among several countries battling the dreaded coronavirus disease which has claimed thousands of lives across Europe and Africa, with millions of people infected.
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MM/GIK/APA