The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has ordered its chapters nationwide to set up COVID-19 task forces across universities to ensure compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols.

While urging the Federal Government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resume academic activities at the nation’s public universities, NANS President, Sunday Asefon, in a statement on Tuesday, said: “Rather than postpone schools’ resumption, it has become imperative to address the alarming spread of COVID-19 and rising cases of deaths from a position of environmental strategy and human coordination since the lockdown mechanism can no longer be a mitigating option in the face of our economic reality.

“The federal government is immediately urged to rethink its approach and take only actions that can get more Nigerians into coordinated and regulated systems, like schools and offices, where hours of wearing face masks and complying with COVID Safety protocols can be guaranteed to curb the spread.

“Consequently, the National Association of Nigerian Students is undertaking to prevail on students union bodies to set up Students Task Force Against COVID-19 in every school, while asking the Federal Government to rejig its basic COVID guidelines for schools resumption.”

Thelagostimes recalls that the PTF on COVID-19 had asked varsities to remain closed till January 18 to curb the spike in COVID-19 cases.