By Adeyemo Eyitayo
The university management reported positive Covid-19 cases on 5th of July 2021 in an internal memorandum sent by the institution’s Director of Medical Services to the Dean of Students Affairs. Students have now vacated the hostels and will begin virtual classes.
It’s been months since the students of the prestigious University of Lagos, UNILAG thought that they had moved on with their lives after a long lasting ‘stay at home’ due to the corona virus pandemic coupled with the indefinite ASUU strike.
But physical classes are set to be disrupted again with the news of a Covid outbreak in the school. Students claimed to have received the information by the Dean stating that those who contracted the virus were from two female hostels and a male hostel.With the spread of this information that there seemed to be a lot of panic amongst students.
Subsequently, university authorities, lecturers as well as hostel porters began taking strict rules of using nose masks.
However, after an emergency meeting of Senate, management had decided that students vacate halls of residence and resume virtual lectures.
I asked a few students on campus how they felt about returning home.
Shola, a 300 level student of the department of Sociology, said “I don’t want to go back home. During the lockdown, I suffered depression”.
Amos, a 200 level student of the department of mass communication, blames students for neglecting the adherence of strict covid-19 and lack of sanitisation within the hostel environment. “I still don’t wish to stay at home.”
Also Efemena, a 100 level student of the department of Architecture said that she fears that ASUU might begin an indefinite strike if students should go to their houses and end up spending months at home like the previous time.
Dorcas, from the department of English, said “The money spent on data for virtual classes is too expensive. Most of the time when I’m at home I am usually broke and I can’t stand doing household chores everyday”
Other reasons from students were lack of freedom in their houses and an inability to concentrate and study from home.
With the closure of hostels to check the spread of Covid-19 on campus, students will now commence virtual classes. This outbreak may be the start of the third wave of Coronavirus in Lagos.
