People in Somalia’s central city of Galkayo don’t appear to have woken up to the risks of Coronavirus, despite numerous ongoing public awareness campaigns.

Public squares and business centres in Galkayo appear to be even more crowded than before, according to observers.

Ahmed Nur Osman, director of Galmudug’s education ministry, believes some of these people are students, who have misunderstood the purpose behind the closure of schools and universities.

“They are seeing it as an opportunity to hang around and socialize at restaurants and other business centres,” he complained.

“You see them in groups, mingling and interacting in close proximity without any regard to what the doctors have been telling them.”

Nasra Abdinasir Ahmed, a grade eight student, told Radio Ergo that she is worried that the school closure may drag on for long and affect her education.

“I’m really sad. The school was closed in the middle of the term. The teachers and the students filed out of the premises just like that. We don’t even have online learning,” she said.

Abdirizak Hussein, a form four student, who was ready to sit for the national exams, expressed his apprehension about the continuing uncertainty.

“We have not yet heard from the Ministry of Education and frankly the probability of sitting for the exams anytime soon is very slim,” he said.

Galmudug Medical Association, which has been engaged in public awareness on Coronavirus in Galkayo, warned that people’s disregard of their advice may lead to a public health emergency.

Abdirizak Ali Mohamed, the secretary general of the association, said that the disease could spread fast within the community if the warnings are not heeded.

He advised parents of the students crowding up public spaces to discipline their children and keep them at home.

While formal schools have been closed, the informal religious learning centres were still operating. Hundreds of such centres are still open, as are the mosques and other places where people normally gather in big numbers.

“We must do all we can to protect the society from the dangers of this virus, so the religious scholars must issue fatwas on the subject,” Abdirizak said.

It is estimated that around 41,000 students enrolled in 200 schools in Galmudug are affected by the suspension of education. Galmudug Ministry of Education said that 38,000 of these students are below the age of 18 and may experience difficulties in readjusting back to the rigours of learning if the pause continues for a long time.

Source: Radio Ergo