CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
College and university environments are places where students live and study in close proximity to one another. They’re also buzzing social hubs where students from various academic departments come together. The rapid expansion of the Covid-19 flare-up has hampered the formation of this unique environment in recent years, causing doubt about the implications for advanced education.
Covid-19 is a virus family that causes infections ranging from the common cold to more serious disorders such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome, according to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020). (MERS). The first instance of coronavirus was reported in 1960, and a Canadian investigation in 2001 discovered roughly 500 individuals with a flu-like system, with 17 to 18 cases confirmed as Coronavirus infection by polymerase chain reaction. Livestock, birds, and mammals like bats, camels, masked palm civets, dogs, mice, and cats are among them. In 2003, several reports were published about the spread of Coronavirus in a number of countries, including Hong Kong, the United States of America, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan, where there were several cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by Coronavirus, with over 1000 patients dying. In a separate study conducted in Hong Kong, 50 individuals were diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome, with 30 of them being confirmed as Coronavirus infected. Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China (PRC) reported a case of unidentified pneumonia in Wuhan (China) in late December 2019. Their clinical characteristics were very similar to those of viral pneumonia. The pneumonia, later known as novel virus and officially named the disease COVID-19, was declared by the World Health Organization after analysis of respiratory samples by the Center for Disease Control (WHO). The first cases were all linked to the Huanan wholesale seafood market, which also dealt in live animals. China notified the WHO of the epidemic on December 31st, and the Huanan sea food market was closed on January 1st.
A variety of samples from the Huanan sea food market were tested for this disease, indicating that the virus originated there. The number of cases began to rise dramatically, with some cases not having been exposed to the live animal market, indicating that human-to-human transmission was taking place.
The global spread of pandemic Covid-19 has disrupted the world’s educational, political, social, economic, religious, and financial structures. The world’s most powerful economies, including the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and many others, are on the verge of collapsing.
Aside from that, stock markets around the world have been hammered, and oil prices have plummeted. In less than a week, 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits, and another 6.6 million began looking for work. Many economic and financial professionals have also expressed concern about the global economic and financial structure’s deterioration.
The national government mandated the use of face masks, social distance, hand sanitizers, and regular cleaning of surfaces in contact with, all of which are applicable to all individuals, including university students, in order to reduce and deal with the spread of the infection in Nigeria. In any case, prior to the resumption of tertiary institutions, the Nigerian governments encouraged all tertiary institutions to ensure that Covid-19 safety measures are followed consistently. As a result, the extent to which Nigerian tertiary institutions adhere to those mandatory safety measures, as well as other parts of the country, is unknown. As a result of this uncertainty, this study was born.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
A pandemic is a disease outbreak that affects multiple countries or continents at the same time. It affects more people and kills more people than an epidemic, which the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled a pandemic when it became obvious that the illness was severe and spreading rapidly across a large area.
Coronavirus is a scary and deadly disease that has claimed the lives of millions of people around the world.
From the very first occurrence of this infection in Nigeria, the Nigerian government has required residents to take a number of steps to prevent it from spreading throughout the country.
The government took a number of measures to slow the spread of the pandemic, including closing schools at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. On the subject of reopening schools in Nigeria, the government has indicated that several measures should be put in place by school owners and tertiary institution management in order to combat the pandemic and reduce its spread among students. As a result, most Nigerian tertiary schools are overcrowded, with thousands of students coming and going. The level of law avoidance and negligence among university students, on the other hand, is staggering.
According to Johnson (2020), the management of tertiary students in Nigeria will face a challenge in adhering to the Covid-19 guidelines.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The primary goal of this research is to assess the level of Covid-19 safety compliance among higher education institutions. Other specific goals are listed below:
Examine whether kids are properly using face masks and sanitizers, as well as social separation.
Examine how well pupils adhere to such safety precautions.
Find out if school lecturers follow the covid-19 safety prevention measures in terms of execution and practice.
Examine whether school administration and law enforcement ensure and contribute to students’ execution and application of safety measures.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Is there enough use of face masks, sanitizers, and social separation among students?
To what extent do students adhere to these safety precautions?
Is it true that school lecturers follow these COVID-19 safety prevention procedures in their execution and practice?
Is school administration and law enforcement responsible for ensuring and assisting pupils in the execution and application of safety measures?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will be of incalculable value to the federal and state governments, as it will reveal the current status of compliance by tertiary institutions, as well as the loopholes created by enforcement agencies, resulting in irregular adherence to COvid 19 norms and limits. And the recommendations will have a significant impact on how the limits are tightened. The study, on the other hand, will assist university management boards in determining the best strategy to assure student safety. This research will add to the existing body of knowledge in this field and will serve as a catalyst for more research in this area.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Only the University of Ilorin in Kwara State, Nigeria is included in the study, which is titled “Evaluation of the Level of Covid-19 Safety Compliance in Tertiary Institutions.”
DEFINITION OF TERMS
The act of obeying and observing what is authorized and legal is known as compliance.
Transportation Company: A transportation company transfers freight from one point to another and is an important part of the manufacturing value chain.
Covid 19: Also known as coronavirus, this is a contagious respiratory disease produced by a novel coronavirus strain that causes illness in humans.
Government: The body of people who make up a political unit’s or organization’s governing authority: for example, the officials who make up a political unit’s governing body and make up the organization as an active agency.