Students of the University of Port Harcourt, Choba may soon have cause to celebrate as the management of the institution has intensified efforts to ensure the resumption of academic activities hitherto scuttled by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

A reliable source in the institution who craved anonymity revealed to Kristina Reports that classroom activity is expected to resume on November 2, 2020, revealing, however, that no official correspondence to that effect has been made public.

According to the source, the acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Stephen Okodudu has reached out to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to come and carry out an assessment of the Covid-19 readiness status for the institution.

In line with this, a COVID-19 team comprising some management staff and officials of the NCDC will on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 commence an assessment tour of the facilities in the three campuses of the institution to ascertain its ability to meet the prevailing classroom standards occasioned by the global pandemic.

Kristina Reports chat with some students of the institution revealed that the school management has not demanded any fee for COVID-19 testing or school decontamination from the students.

There are expectations, however, that the management will cater for that, being a federal institution and taking into cognizance the economic plight of the students at this time.

Kristina Reports further learnt that the University intends to commence a virtual programme upon resumption and is, therefore, making efforts to provide free Wi-Fi Internet access within the school environment.

Additionally, the management also intends to have a maximum of 100 persons in every classroom in strict compliance to social distancing and other approved guidelines released by the NCDC.

Recall that the University of Port Harcourt, Choba was gearing towards the examination period when the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed.

There is currently no information about the possible commencement of examinations as at when filing this report but more information will be made available as events continue to unfold.