From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has deployed stringent measures geared towards preventing any care of COVID-19 incidents throughout the orientation camp of Prospective Corps Members (PCMs).

The Director, Press and Public Relations, Adenike Adeyemi, who briefed reporters on behalf of the Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, said that apart from compulsory testing, PCMs will resume in batches over a period of five days to avoid the crowd during registration.

The scheme maintained that only the staff, prospective corps members and visitors that tested negative to COVID-19 will be admitted into the orientation camp.

While warning that it will not accept previous test results from anybody or accept Vaccination as an excuse, the management insisted that Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) test must be administered on all camp officials and PCM before entrance into the camps.

‘The 2021 Batch ‘B’ Stream II is the 6th orientation exercise since re-opening. Five orientation courses have been successfully executed without COVID-19 infractions. Measures put in place by NYSC management to ensure safe camp re-opening include an excellent partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) over the last year include; the presence of the NCDC surveillance team and State Health Officials on NYSC Camps nationwide.

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‘RDT administered on all camp officials and PCM before entrance into the camps and only PCMs and officials that test negative are allowed into the camps. Testing of all visitors and non-camp officials entering the camp premises.

‘Number of participants allowed into camp is reduced nationwide so that there can be enough room for physical and social distancing. The PCMs resume in batches over a period of five days in order to avoid crowds during registration. PCMs or camp officials whose results are reactive or positive are taken over by the NCDC surveillance team on camp.

‘PCMs and camp officials do not come to camp with results. They are all freely tested at the camp entrance. PCMs are always advised to come to camp with enough facemasks and pocket-sized hand sanitisers,’ the management noted.

On other NYSC safe camp reopening measures, the Scheme disclosed that ‘handwashing locations are available at strategic locations within the camps. Information, Education and Communication materials are freely given to the PCMs to educate and sensitise all on adherence to guidelines on COVID-19 prevention.

‘Two-metre bed spacing with adequate ventilation is ensured in all camps. Fumigation and decontamination of all camps are done before the commencement of any orientation exercise. With the above and compliance with all non-pharmaceutical interventions, NYSC has put in place adequate measures towards the safe re-opening of orientation camps for the 2021 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Orientation Course.

‘To aid in COVID-19 testing, TY Danjuma Foundation donated 60,000 COVID-19 test kits. National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) donated 72,000 RDT kits. Vaccinated or not, everyone undergoes the compulsory COVID-19 test before entering NYSC orientation camps,’ the NYSC management insisted.