By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

A case of COVID-19 was on Monday recorded among the corps members deployed to Anambra State for the one year national youth service.

Disclosing this to journalists at the swearing in of the 2020 Batch B stream 1A corps members at the permanent orientation camp in Umuawulu/Mbaukwu, the state Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Kehinde Aremu, said said the state recorded a case of COVID-19 among the prospective corps members deployed to the state for the one year national service.

Aremu said the case has been handed over to the government through the disease management team.

According to him, the scheme worked with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to enable it manage the corps members as well as ensure operations of the scheme are not interrupted.

He said: “All our activities are arranged sequentially and in agreement with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) and NCDC guidelines whose officials are also resident here to administer COVID-19 test on both camp officials and corps members.

“Anyone that fails the test, the medical personnel will take over management of the case. We had a single case which the state government had already taken care of through the state disease management team.”

Aremu explained that the number of corps members were deliberately reduced to ensure strict adherence to the NCDC guidelines, saying that the left overs would be captured in the next batch.

He added: “We’re only 800 corps members in the state, and even that number was segmented into four batches of 200, and were given time to report, morning, afternoon and evening.

“This to a large extent reduced crowd. This camp has the capability for 3,000 corps members but we staggered it so that each corps member is entitled to a double bunk bed. We also have handwash facilities, soap, sanitizers and steady water supply.”

Earlier on his speech, the State Governor, Willie Obiano, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Solo Chukwudobelu, announced the approval of the sum of N10 million for the subsidization of the feeding of the corps members posted to the state.

He said the approval was part of his administration commitment to the corps members' welfare and resolve to continuously serve them quality meals and testiest rations.

The governor hailed the corps members’ contributions to bridging the manpower gap in educational and health sectors.

While pledging his continued support to the NYSC amidst COVID-19 scourge challenge, Obiano charged the corpers to strive to outdo their predecessors’ achievements.

“Align yourselves with this administration’s vision and developmental drive for our communities.

“What you make of the orientation course would go a long way to determine how you will conclude the entire service year. The programme affords the opportunity of preparing you physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically for the challenges ahead,” he stated.

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