COVID-19: UNILAG orders students to vacate hostels, suspends physical classes

The management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has ordered students to vacate its hostels.

The varsity broke the news in a statement on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, panic broke out at UNILAG after the institution recorded an increase in the number of persons within the varsity community with symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

This had prompted Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, the vice-chancellor, to summon an emergency meeting of the school’s senate.

In the statement, the university senate directed that all students vacate the halls of residence by 12:00 pm on Thursday.

It added that lectures will henceforth be delivered virtually from July 26.

“To check the spread of Covid-19 on campus, the university senate has directed that all students vacate the halls of residence latest by 12.00 noon on Thursday 15 July 2021,” the statement read.

“No access will be granted to any student after 12.00 noon on 15 July.

“The hostels will be locked indefinitely therefore students are advised to move all their personal belongings at once. Lectures for the rest of the semester will be delivered virtually with effect from 26th July 2021. DSA.”

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, had earlier asked residents to comply with the COVID-19 protocol while warning of a third wave of the pandemic.

“The UNILAG community has also been affected by this potential 3rd wave, with an increase in the number of patients presented to the UNILAG medical centre with flu-like symptoms which are similar to COVID-19,” the varsity had earlier said.

“The medical centre hereby assures all members of the university community, that all necessary actions in line with the Federal and Lagos State Government guidelines have been taken regarding this potential threat in our community.

“The medical centre will also return to providing emergency-only services during this period, in order to protect all members of the community from potential infection within the facility.”