COVID-19
The Chainsmokers Headlined a Hamptons Drive-In Show That Devolved Into Concert Devoid of Social Distancing
Update: Following the publishing of this article, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state’s Department of Health will conduct an investigation into the “Safe & Sound Hamptons” concert. The Chainsmokers‘ recent performance in the Hamptons appeared to defy social distancing guidelines largely instated by medical experts in light of COVID-19. Announced earlier in the month, the event was the first leg of a charity concert series in support of a number of organizations and featured additional performances from Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, who performs under the moniker DJ D-Sol, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman‘s band, and Matt White. At the time of writing, the ticketing page for the concert is sti...
NBA Partnering With Microsoft To Bring Fans Into The Bubble Virtually
Source: Miami Herald / Getty The NBA is set to officially restart it on Thursday (Jul.30), and if you have been watching the tune-up games, it’s a bit weird without fans. The league is looking to tackle that issue by partnering with Microsoft. Let’s face it, while we are happy to have sports back, it’s just not the same without fans in the arenas and stadiums cheering on their favorite teams due to COVID-19. The NBA is looking to somewhat remedy that situation by teaming up with Microsoft and using the tech company’s Microsoft Teams to project more than 300 fans into the National Basketball Association’s bubble arena. The invited fans will appear on 17-foot video screens and will be able to interact with each other during the games. The goal is to give them the feeling of sitting next to e...
Nigerian government extends Phase 2 lockdown by 1 week
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has extended the phase two lockdown by one week from the initial one month extension. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of the PTF-COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, revealed this at the daily briefing on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja. “The PTF has continued to evaluate the developments as well as the level of compliance nationwide. “(It) has regrettably come to the inevitable conclusion that majority of Nigerians irrespective of status, creed and level of education continue to live in denial on the virulent nature of the virus and consistently breach the guidelines and non-pharmaceutical measures put in place. “We informed you two weeks ago that the process of submitting the 6th Interim Report and recommendations for next step...
Stakeholders commend government’s decision to reopen school for exit classes
Stakeholders in education have commended the Federal Government’s decision made at the stakeholders’ consultative meeting to reopen school on Aug. 4 for exit classes. Newsmen report that they made this known in Ibadan on Monday in separate interviews. Kayode Adeyemi, the President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Oyo State (NAPPS), said that the decision was a welcome development given the prevailing circumstances. Adeyemi said with the level of learning loss occasioned by the lockdown was a good decision, adding that children would not be too backward because of the holiday. “I still remain cautious about the release though it’s from a stakeholders’ forum. I just hope that the ministry of education will not come up to say that they are not prepared again. “This is ...
The Struggle Files: Doja Cat Gets COVID-19 After Thumbing Nose At Virus
Source: Getty Images / Getty Doja Cat has been holding a few bags of Ls this year, and another one was just recently collected. The rapper and racist chat room enthusiast revealed she’s contracted COVID-19 after initially mocking the disease online. Earlier in the year, the “Say So” star likened COVID-19 to being nothing more than a glorified remix of the flu, which we need to remind folks is also a potentially life-ending condition. During one of her infamous Instagram Live sessions, Doja Cat wasn’t about to take coronavirus all that seriously despite rampant rising numbers and deaths nationwide and globally. What made matters worse was Doja’s defiant IDGAF attitude that turned most heads. In a new radio interview with Captial XTRA, Doja revealed she had a bout with COVID-19 recently and ...
NIDCOM: More Nigerians stranded in Europe set to return home
The Federal Government has revealed that more Nigerians stranded in France and other European countries, due to the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, are being evacuated to the country. This was disclosed on Sunday by the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa via Twitter. Dabiri-Erewa explained that the citizens, who have departed Citizen Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, are expected back soon and will arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The evacuation exercise was coordinated by the Nigerian Mission in France under Ambassador Modupe Irele and monitored by the commission. Upon arrival, the Nigerian returnees are expected to proceed on a 14-day self-isolation as mandated by the Presidential Task Force on C...
Delta to cut political appointees, workers’ salaries effective from July
Following the dwindling global economy occasioned by the ravaging coronavirus pandemic, the Delta State Government, weekend, said there would be a review of the salary of political appointees and workers on salary grade level 7 and above for six months with effect from July 2020. Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie, who disclosed this, yesterday, while briefing newsmen in Asaba, said the decision was part of measures to overcome the debilitating effect of COVID-19 on the national economy. Saying that the state government had adopted interim fiscal measures to sustain public spending, Ebie noted that the decision to review workers’ salary was reached at a consultative meeting with the organised labour in the state. He said the review was painful, difficult but inevitable, addi...
Delta workers accept salary review as monthly wage bill hits N7 billion
With over N7 billion monthly wage bill to 48,000 workers in Delta, the State Chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Martin Bolum, has said that the decision of the state government to review the salary of political appointees and workers on salary grade level seven was one of the ways to keep the state afloat in this period of Coronavirus pandemic. The salary cut takes effect from July 2020 is for six months. According to him, the state was one of the first states to implement the new minimum wage, stressing that the present salary review was for a while. At a press conference by the secretary to the state government Barr. Chiedu Ebie to explain the interim fiscal measures adopted by the government, the Head of Service, Mr Reginald Bayoko also appealed to workers to see the develo...
Akwa Ibom governor confirms seven deaths from coronavirus
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has said that seven persons have died in the state from COVID-19 since the ravaging virus started in the country. Emmanuel who made this known on Saturday evening during a routine interactive session with the citizens aired by State-owned Radio and television stations urged the citizens and residents to protect themselves and their families from contracting the virus by complying with the preventive and safety measures put in place. His words, “Since COVID-19 started in Nigeria, we have lost seven (7) who had tested positive for COVID-19. Unfortunately, almost all of them came for treatment when they were at a helpless point. “And what we are experiencing nowadays in the state is the high degree of diabetic conditions of people. People don’t check ...
Iran says medics exhausted in battle against coronavirus
Iran reported 216 new deaths from the novel coronavirus on Sunday, calling on its citizens to observe health protocols more closely to ease the burden on exhausted medical staff. The Islamic republic announced its first COVID-19 cases on February 19, and the outbreak quickly became the Middle East’s deadliest. Declared coronavirus deaths have surged since the end of June and claimed more than 200 lives nearly every day in the past week, including a record 229 on Tuesday. “Our biggest concerns are the infection and fatigue of medical staff,” health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in a televised briefing on Sunday. “We can help them and prevent the spread of the disease” by observing basic guidelines such as hand-washing, mask-wearing and social distancing, she added. Iran said ear...
AGF queries NDDC over non-payment of over N70 billion unremitted tax, revenue
The last is yet to be heard about the entrenched corruption in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as the office of the Auditor General of the Federation (oAuGF) queried the Commission over N70 billion and secrecy shrouded in the multi-million dollar revenues paid by oil firms into the coffers of the Commission since inception. The query was part of numerous audit query issued by the oAuGF including the sum of N31.453 billion ‘some payment of 2012 not verified due to non-presentation of payment vouchers and bank mandates; non-remittance of N29 billion before 2008; N5.69 billion payment vouchers from Access Bank Account Number 0015078045 not presented for audit, and payments by unrecognized oil companies into the Commission’s final accounts to the tune of N3,280,818,832, among oth...
Bandcamp Fridays Extended Through The Rest Of 2020
With the government fumbling and failing to lead as usual, Bandcamp has stepped up in a big way to support the arts sector during this pandemic. At the onset of the outbreak earlier this year, the music streaming platform launched Bandcamp Friday, which saw the company waive its cut of sales for 24 hours. The first four Bandcamp Fridays resulted in a whopping $20 million dollars (!) going directly into the hands of artists and labels. Because of its resounding popularity and the country’s unfortunate continued surge in coronavirus cases, Bandcamp has announced it will extend this campaign through the end of 2020. “Because the pandemic is far from over, we’ll continue to hold Bandcamp Fridays on the first Friday of every month until the end of the year,” Bandcamp wrote on its official websi...
