Coronavirus
UN: Somalia faces dire threats from conflict, natural disasters, coronavirus
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is appealing for strong International support to help millions of Somalis facing a growing number of catastrophic threats from conflict, natural disasters and the potential spread of COVID-19. More than 220,000 Somalis have fled their homes this year because of drought, heavy flooding and increased violence and atrocities by al-Shabab militants. This brings the total number of those forced from their homes in the country to 2.6 million. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR says the conflict and natural and climate-related disasters are crippling the country’s economy and threatening the safety and welfare of the displaced Somalis. It warns impending desert locust swarms, which have been creating havoc across parts of East Africa, could destroy much of the n...
Rivers inaugurates three coronavirus testing machines at state university teaching hospital
In its determination to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state, the Rivers State Government Friday evening inaugurated three PCR machines at its Covid-19 testing centre at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt. The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Teaching Hospital, Dr. Friday Aaron, said Shell Petroleum Development Company donated two of the PCR machines to the state government while the third came from Total E and P. He said: “This evening we are here to celebrate, because it has been our goal to get a testing centre in Rivers State. Today, I am happy to announce that we can now do Covid-19 tests at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital courtesy of the Rivers State Government ably led by our own Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. “We also tha...
Governor Sanwo-Olu: Success of easing lockdown depends on residents’ compliance
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has decried the non-compliance to measures to contain the Coronavirus pandemic by some residents of the state. Governor Sanwo-Olu who stated this on Saturday while giving the 11th Update on Coronavirus in the state, reiterated that the success of the gradual easing of the lockdown is dependent upon the compliance of Lagos residents. He said that the state government “will not hesitate to review the terms of this easing if we continue to see evidence that Lagosians are determined to flout the rules. “The continued maintenance of this easing is only guaranteed when people consistently comply.” While also describing as unacceptable, the poor compliance level with the COVID-19 protocols, including physical and social distancing, wearing of face masks, no...
Mike Pence spokeswoman tests positive for spokesperson
The US vice president’s spokeswoman became the second White House staff this week to test positive for the coronavirus, officials said Friday, even as President Donald Trump continued to go mask-free at a World War II commemoration with veterans in their 90s. News that staffer Katie Miller had fallen ill boosted fears that the White House is at risk of becoming a viral hot spot just when Trump is leading efforts to wind down nationwide quarantine measures that have devastated the world’s biggest economy. Miller is spokeswoman for Vice President Mike Pence, giving her frequent access to high-level meetings. She is also married to top Trump aide Stephen Miller, the speech writer behind the administration’s hardline immigration measures. A senior administration official initially said only th...
Rivers governor splashes N5 million on community which reported unlawful entry of cattle, bearers
Governor Nyesom Wike on Friday rewarded Rumuigbo community, Obio Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers state, with N5 million for providing information which resulted in the arrest of trucks, cattle, and passengers who sneaked into Port Harcourt in breach of the state’s COVID-19 restriction orders. The Governor in a Friday broadcast on state of his administration’s fight against coronavirus also vented frustration on perceived Federal Government (FG) and security agents sabotage of efforts at containing the pandemic in the state. He said, “I commend Rumuigbo community vigilante for rising to the challenge, as any responsible community should do, by intercepting a lorry-load of livestock with 50 persons who illegally entered the State in violation of the lockdown orders. For this show of cour...
China admits coronavirus exposed ‘shortcomings’ in healthcare system
The coronavirus outbreak exposed “shortcomings” in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms. China has faced criticism both at home and abroad for downplaying the virus and concealing information about the outbreak when it first emerged in the central city of Wuhan in December. The virus has since infected nearly four million people worldwide — claiming more than 270,000 lives — and crippled the global economy. Beijing has insisted it has always shared information with the World Health Organization and other countries in a timely manner. But on Saturday Li Bin, deputy director of China’s National Health Commission, made a rare admission when he said the heal...
Ekiti court imposes N40,000 fine on man for not wearing face mask
An Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court in Ekiti State has fined a man, Ikechukwu Vincent, N40,000 for contravening the order on the use of face mask in the state. It will be recalled that governors in South-West agreed on mandatory use of face masks by residents as part of measures in containing the spread of coronavirus. Director of Public Prosecutions in the state, Julius Ajibare, told the court that the suspect committed the offence on Friday around Fajuyi park in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. The charge read: “That you, Vincent Ikechuckwu, at about 11.00 a.m. on the 8th day of May, 2020 at Fajuyi, Ado-Ekiti magisterial district did without lawful excuse move without wearing a face mask thereby violating the provisions of Regulations 4 (2) (a) punishable under Regulation 12 of the Ekiti State ...
Maxine Waters Reveals Her Sister Has Passed Away Due To COVID-19
Source: Bill Pugliano / Getty Rep. Maxine Waters’ sister has lost her battle with COVID-19. The California congresswoman revealed that her sister recently passed away during an exclusive interview with The Grio on Thursday (May.7). She described her passing “one of the most painful things” she has ever experienced but also is glad she is no longer suffering. “It is one of the most painful things that I’ve ever had to experience in my life. She had suffered. And so we are going through a very difficult time. It was not easy, but in many ways, I’m so glad she’s out of pain.” Homegoing services will be held for Waters’ sister in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Auntie Maxine first revealed that her sister was battling COVID-19 during a passionate speech during a debate over the stimulus r...
Zimbabwe street vendors sell cloth masks to make ends meet
Zimbabwe market stall owner Aaron Makaya saw a new business opportunity when President Emmerson Mnangagwa made face masks mandatory in public places to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The 21-year old had been stuck at home in the capital Harare and living off meagre savings since the start of a nationwide lockdown at the end of March. Confinement measures were extended by two weeks on May 1 – another month without income for informal workers like Makaya. Meanwhile, factory-made face masks turned out to be unaffordable for most in a country crippled by poverty and hyperinflation. Makaya and other informal workers jumped on the opportunity to make money by sewing and selling cheaper cloth masks at intersections. “We started selling these masks on Monday when we noticed that people intendi...
British-Nigerian rapper dies of coronavirus
A British-Nigerian rapper, TY Ben Chijioke, has died from coronavirus complications. He was 47 . The rapper’s death was confirmed by his team on Thursday. The late rapper, who recorded several acclaimed albums, died of pneumonia as he was being treated for coronavirus. He was hospitalised after contracting the virus and placed in a medically-induced coma. A fundraising to fund his medical bill was closed on April 19 when he appeared to be recovering after leaving the ICU. The fundraising page explained that Ty was admitted to hospital with medical complications related to the coronavirus. The star was then placed into a medically-induced coma, and later put on a ventilator, but was moved out of intensive care after his condition improved. Ty first shot to prominence in 2001 with his album ...
Official: Some coronavirus patients in Lagos on the run
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said on Friday that many people who tested positive for coronavirus were running away from being taken to isolation centres for treatment. Mr Abayomi said this was one of the reasons the state still has unoccupied beds at the isolation centres despite recording more cases than its bed-capacity. He spoke at the state secretariat on Friday when responding to the question on the discrepancy between the occupancy of the isolation centres and the number of active cases in the state. “There is also a situation that we experience, when we test people, sometimes they find it difficult to find them. The ambulances will go into community, people will flee their homes, and they make it difficult for us to find them.” Speaking on the stress health...
Gombe discharges 20 coronavirus patients after testing negative
Gombe State has discharged 20 COVID-19 patients out of 109 cases in isolation centres across the state after they tested negative twice. Prof. Idris Mohammed the Chairman of the State Task Force on COVID-19, made the disclosure at a news briefing on Friday in Gombe. Mohammed, who was represented by Dr Ahmed Gana, the state’s Commissioner for Health, said that the 20 patients were discharged following directive from the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). “We are happy to inform the general public that NCDC has given us go ahead to discharge a total of 20 cases under our isolation facilities. “Ten from Kwadon Isolation facility and the second 10 were from Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Gombe Isolation center,” he said. He added that more patients would be discharged in the next few...
