Coronavirus: ECOWAS directs staff to go on self-isolation

The ECOWAS Commission has directed its staff who had been on missions to any high-burden country or country with local transmission of Coronavirus to go into self-isolation for 14 days.

The concerned workers were instructed to observe the precaution within two weeks of returning to their duty station.

The Commission in a directive issued to its personnel in Abuja, on Monday, said only critically necessary missions would be approved, noting that all missions that had not started should be resubmitted to the Head of Institution for approval.

It said staff wishing to work from home must phone their superior officers every morning to report, leaving at least two immediate contact details.


During the period of self-isolation, the regional body said the staff must remain in their duty stations and continue to work from home using remote technology such as the Internet, phone, Skype and WhatsApp.

The directive read, “All staff who have been on a mission to any high burden country or country with local transmission within two weeks of returning to their duty station should go into self-isolation for 14 calendar days, counting day one as the day the staff left the hotspot country; transit at the airport does not apply.”

“Those on self-isolation must strictly comply with WHO guidelines for self-isolation and any staff member that develops any symptoms of fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, etc, should not only self-isolate but should also call the dedicated telephone number or Covid 19 toll-free number in the Member State where they work,” it further directed.

The Commission has also suspended all meetings involving participants travelling on international flights until further notice.

“Local meetings involving more than 50 participants at a specific point in time are discouraged. All meetings should observe the rules of social distancing such as distancing of at least 1.5 metres apart, and staff members are encouraged to make use of technologies through video conferencing to conduct meetings with international participants,” the Commission advised.

It expressed concern over the spread of COVID-19 to Senegal (26), Burkina Faso (3), Cote d’Ivoire (3), Nigeria (3), Ghana (2), Guinea (1) and Togo (1).