COVID-19
YPP provides girls with sexual reproductive health information
Young people, especially girls and young women faced significant barriers in accessing sexual reproductive health information and services before the COVID-19 crisis. Now, due to the pandemic, there is a risk that young people accessing this life-saving information will move even further from their reach. To address this risk, a one-day Community Forum for adolescent girls and young women was organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Youth Participatory Platform (YPP) in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Youth in Abesan Youth Center, Alimosho, Lagos. At the event, the CDC Secretary, Mosan Okunola LCDA, Mr. Olufemo Ojo, said “We must continue to provide young girls with information that empowers them to make informed decisions regarding their health and wellbeing....
Coronavirus: Nigeria has vaccinated over 1 million people – NPHCDA
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has announced that Nigeria had so far vaccinated over a million eligible people out of its target of 70 percent of the nation’s population. The NPHCDA disclosed this on its official Twitter handle, on Thursday. Newsmen report that for the country to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, it had set an ambitious goal of vaccinating 40 per cent of its over 200 million population before the end of 2021, and 70 per cent by the end of 2022. The country kicked off vaccination on March 5, 2021, commencing with healthcare workers who are mostly at risk to the infections, being the first responders. It noted that the vaccine roll-out would be in four phases, starting with health workers, frontline workers, COVID-19 rapid response team, l...
airKAVE’s $349 Portable Air Filter Approved To Help Fight COVID-19 & Other Airborne Microbes
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: AIRKAVE / AIRKAVE PORTABLE AIR PURIFIER Despite what you see on your Instagram and Twitter timelines, COVID-19 is still here. While masking, social distancing, hand washing, and vaccines are significant steps in stopping the virus’s spread, airKAVE has a new tool that could assist in the fight. airKAVE’s Portable Air Filter, which is billed as the “world’s most advanced air purification system,” has now been approved to combat COVID-19, the company announced in a press release after passing the Characterization of Model AH01 Air Purification Device in Deactivation of Aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 test administered by MRIGlobal an independent, not-for-profit, contract organization based in Kansas City, Mo. Basically, that means the device can successfully neutral...
UEFA confirms Rome as Euro 2020 host city
Rome’s Stadio Olimpico has been “fully confirmed” as a venue for Euro 2020 matches after the Italian government guaranteed the presence of at least 25 per cent of fans, UEFA announced on Wednesday. Rome was one of four of the 12 host cities threatened with having its matches removed because it could not give assurances that spectators would be allowed into grounds given the ongoing Covid-19 situation. “The authorities have guaranteed at least 25 per cent of the stadium’s capacity will be filled,” European football’s governing body said. “As a result, UEFA considers Rome to be fully confirmed as a venue for the tournament.” Three other cities — Munich, Bilbao and Dublin — have until April 19 to provide UEFA with additional information on their plans for spectators. Rome is set to host the o...
Kitchen Rave: Spotify Data Proves That Despite Uncertain Times, Dance Music Thrived During the Pandemic
This year in numbers has shown that dance music has the ability to meet any moment. A new data-driven blog post by Spotify takes us behind the scenes to showcase the dance music boom happening online, despite uncertainties posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic. There seems to be a new sense of optimism in the air, especially with vaccines in distribution, that life will once again return to normal. January seemed to mark the start of a meteoric trend, as 80,000 Spotify playlists have since been created worldwide with “dance” included in the title. In some areas like the UK, the trend towards dance streaming is accelerating, with a 26% increase in playlists containing “kitchen rave” in the title having been created in the last 90 days alone. Familiar faces are l...
Nollywood Yoruba Actress Iya Ife Dies Of COVID 19 In Ile Ife Osun State 24 Hours To Birthday
Nigerian Yoruba Actress Iya Ife Dies Of COVID 19 In Ile Ife Osun State 24 Hours To Birthday According to NG sources, top Nollywood actress Ashabi Ayantunde died of COVID 19. One of our sources said the Lagos-based actress who reportedly contracted COVID-19 in Lagos was rushed to Ile Ife to receive treatment sadly, she passed away before help could arrive. The source said even though Iya Ife as she is popularly called experienced occasional breathing difficult, his family members still managed to rush her to Ile Ife for treatment late last week. Sadly, she gave up the ghost around 9pm on Sunday the 11th of April 2021, barely 36 hours after another veteran, Bruno Iwuoha died of diabetes. The source added that the actress died 24 hours to her 62nd birthday. The source said COVID-1...
CDC & FDA Hit Pause Button On Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine After 6 Cases of Rare Blood Clotting
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Getty The effort to get Americans vaccinated against COVID-19 has just hit a significant roadblock. Injections of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine are halting across the country after both the CDC and FDA called for a pause in its use “out of an abundance of caution” after cases of a rare blood clotting disorder emerged in six recipients of the vaccine. “We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC both announced in a joint statement, they also made sure to point out “Right now, these adverse events appear to b...
ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres To Close Permanently
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-13T03:00:59+00:00“>April 12, 2021 | 11:00pm ET The owner of ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres says it’s permanently closing many of its locations, including Hollywood’s legendary Cinerama Dome. In a statement shared by the theater chains’ owner Decurion, the company said it was financially unable to weather the pandemic, adding that it does “not have a viable way forward.” Here’s there statement in full: “After shutting our doors more than a year ago, today we must share the difficult and sad news that Pacific will not be reopening its ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres locations. This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all pot...
Minister calls for transformation of food system
Minister of Environment, Dr. Muhammad Abubakar, has called for the transformation of the food system to aid rejuvenation of soils and forest covers. Speaking at the 14th National Council of Environment virtually held with the theme: “Managing Emerging Environmental Challenges: Need for Strategic Approach to Sustainable Development in Covid-19 Era and Beyond,” the Minister said: “There is urgent need to transform our food system which has been the major factor in the issue of loss of biodiversity, fresh water and deforestation with its attendant effects on climate change. It is therefore, expected that pertinent issues of climate smart agriculture and agro ecological practices that will aid rejuvenation of soils and forest covers, among others,are discussed during this meeting.” He noted th...
Burning Man CEO Provides Detailed Update on Festival’s 2021 Edition
Marian Goodell, the CEO of Burning Man Project, has released a video providing an update on the decision to plan the festival’s 2021 edition. While it is still too soon to know whether or not there will be a gathering on the playa this year, Goodell did provide a timeline on when we can expect a definitive answer. New updates will be released weekly before the final decision, which she said will come between April 23-30. If the event is to happen, proof of vaccinations will be mandatory for attendees as per state requirements. There may be testing upon arrival as well. However, considering some countries do not have access to vaccinations, some will be unable to attend. There are also a number of countries that are not allowed to enter the US at this time, establishing an additi...
Coachella and Other Large-Scale Music Festivals Not Part of California’s Reopening Plan
The state of California is poised to reopen its economy by summer 2021, but it seems that large-scale music festivals and conventions will remain on hold for much longer. June 15th remains the target date for statewide reopening without the tiered system, provided that vaccines remain readily available and COVID-19 cases continue to decline. However, festivals like Coachella might have to wait until October for a return to normalcy. Citing COVID-19 safety concerns, Coachella organizers moved the festival from October 2021 to April 2022. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Large-scale conventions and events with a capacity exceeding 5,000 will not be allowed to operate without proof of vaccine or a negative COVID-19 test for attendees until October. International atten...
UN expresses worry over violence against women in Nigeria
The United Nations has expressed worries over rising violence against women and girls in Nigeria. The UN National Programme Manager, Patience Ekeoba, lamented that the country’s security is weak in handling gender-based matter. Ekeoba called on the federal government to retrain security personnel, especially the police in handling gender-based matter in order to put an abrupt end to the narrative across the country. She said this while speaking at the 8th Triennial Convention of the Mothers’ Union of the Church of the Lord International held in Ogere-Remo, Ogun. The UN personnel who spoke on the theme “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” disclosed that 3.85 million of Nigerian girls are out of school, warning that the victims are at risk of social violence. According to her, violence against w...
