NYSC, NCDC partner on safe conduct of orientation camps

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has pledged to partner with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols for safe camp reopening across the country.

The NYSC Director-General, Maj-Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim, stated this in a ‘Safe Camp Reopening Webinar’ in Abuja on Friday.

Ibrahim said the webinar was aimed at sensitizing prospective corps members on the risk of COVID-19 and associated safety measures ahead of the orientation camp exercise.

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“Whether you vaccinate or not, once you come into the camp, you will be tested.

“It is only those that are negative that will be allowed into the camp and those that are positive will be taken by state health officials and NCDC for treatment.

“I will advise corps members to get vaccinated and when you are not vaccinated, the provision will be made by NCDC, once you come in, you will be vaccinated,” he said.

The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, said the meeting was to emphasise how the COVID-19 pandemic had threatened the exercise through temporal closure of orientation camps.

Adetifa represented by Dr John Oladejo, Director, Health Emergency and Response of the centre, via zoom said the meeting was to ensure that the camps would be safe for all.

“I am very excited that in spite of the constraints of the pandemic, we have found a way to ensure that NYSC orientation camps across the country can reopen safely.

“This birthed the safe camp reopening webinar, which six editions have been held so far.

“This has been in consultation with NYSC authorities and the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.

“We continue to work very hard to facilitate the safe conduct of the orientation camp activities,” Adetifa said.

Earlier, the Deputy Director, Surveillance Department, and Head NCDC/NYSC project, Dr Oyeladun Okunromade, said that the testing in the camps was free and all the testing kits, as well as the personnel, has been provided by NCDC.(NAN)