Get Familiar with Lagos State’s Guidelines for the “first phase of easing the lockdown”

170 new cases of COVID19 were recorded in Nigeria on Sunday, May 3rd. According to the NCDC, out of the 170 new cases, 39 were recorded in Lagos, 29 in Kano, 24 in Ogun, 18 in Bauchi, 15 in Kaduna, 12 in FCT, 12 in Sokoto, 8 in Katsina, 7 in Borno, 3 in Nasarawa, 2 in Adamawa, and 1 in Oyo.

Nigeria now has 2558 confirmed cases of COVID19. 400 patients have been discharged from the various Isolation centres while 87 deaths have been recorded.

A breakdown of cases by state and other details can be found via https://t.co/A0NkMvZqE5 pic.twitter.com/dRw7n4u8lf

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) May 3, 2020

China responds to Oby Ezekwesili over ‘senseless, irresponsible’ demand for compensation

The Chinese embassy in Nigeria has berated those demanding compensation from the Asian country over the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus was first recorded in Wuhan, China, and the country has been accused of mismanaging the outbreak.

The embassy, in an article published in The Guardian Nigeria, replied a former minister of education in Nigeria, Oby Ezekwesili, who said the country must “pay reparations to Africa for its coronavirus failures”.

In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Oby gave the opinion that China must pay for failing to manage COVID-19, which has severely injured Africa’s development prospects and worsened the conditions of the poor. Oby Ezekwesili had written: “The continent must be accorded damages and liability compensation from China, the rich and powerful country that failed to transparently and effectively manage this global catastrophe.”

However, reacting on Sunday, Sun Saixiong, press secretary of the Chinese embassy in Nigeria, said Ezekwesili’s comments “make no sense at all”. Saixiong said China has taken “the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough measures” to contain the spread of the disease, and has also “made tremendous sacrifices and made significant contributions to the global response”.

The letter reads:

It is noticed that The Guardian reported (April 18th) the Op-ed by Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, China Must Pay Reparations to Africa for its Coronavirus Failures, first published on The Washington Post, April 16th edition.

The remarks of Mrs Ezekwesili in the Op-ed make no sense at all.

We must know that, since the outbreak of COVID-19, in an open, transparent and responsible spirit, China has taken the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough measures to contain its spread and conduct international cooperation. In this process, China has made tremendous sacrifices, accumulated valuable experience, and made significant contributions to the global response. The international community bears witness to and applauds China’s efforts and progress.

The virus is a common enemy to all mankind and may strike anytime, anywhere. Like other countries, China is also a victim, not a perpetrator, even less an accomplice of COVID-19.

In the face of major public health crises and infectious diseases, the international community should stand in solidarity and work together, not resort to a mutual accusation or demand retribution and accountability. As we recall, there has never been any precedence of the latter.

Did anyone ask the US to offer compensations for the 2009 H1N1 flu, which was first diagnosed before breaking out on a large scale in the US and then spread to 214 countries and regions, killing nearly 200,000 people? AIDS was first reported in the US in the 1980s and then swept across the world, including Africa, causing untold sufferings to countless victims. And we don’t remember Mrs Ezekwesili coming forward to ask the US to be held accountable? The financial turmoil in the US triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 turned into a global financial crisis. Did anyone ask the US to take the consequences?

We must understand that our enemy is the virus, not China. The international community can only defeat the virus by pulling together. Attacking and discrediting others will not save time and lives lost. We hope that Mrs Ezekwesili will respect facts, science, and international consensus, stop letting herself dance to other’s tune, stop attacking and blaming China for nothing, and stop making irresponsible remarks.

Get familiar with Lagos State guidelines for the “first phase of Easing The Lockdown”

As the ease of the lockdown commences today, Monday, Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu wants everyone to be responsible and do the needful by masking up. The governor shared some guidelines for the ease of lockdown via Twitter.

In a few hours, we will begin the first phase of #EasingTheLockdown. At a press briefing today I shared updated guidelines for all sectors.

The work guidelines for members of the public service have been amended. ALL civil servants must work from home on Monday…

1/10 pic.twitter.com/RQs38aWK7L

— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) May 3, 2020

Read it below:

Food markets across the State are to be opened only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9am to 3pm and non-food markets shall only open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays within the same stipulated hours.

We have amended and extended the operating hours for eateries and restaurants from 9am to 7pm, due to the Ramadan fasting. Restaurants and eateries must operate only take-away and delivery services. There will be no dine-in services allowed.

Banks and other private firms are allowed to open with a maximum of 60% of their staff strength, operating within the hours of 9am and 3pm. We urge private companies and manufacturing firms to arrange for the transportation of their essential staff that would be at work.

All places of worship will remain closed. The same for educational institutions; they will remain closed till further notice. We encourage parents and school authorities to dialogue on alternative means of learning and come to an understanding.

Public transport services are to operate from 6am to 7pm daily. Vehicle capacity regulations will be communicated as the NUTRW/RTEAN have been in full engagement on achieving these regulations or the Police for minor offences can still get their vehicles back free of charge from Tuesday May 5th, 2020. Contact their call centres and digital channels for more information.

Individuals exposed during the burial of Abba Kyari, have completed their 14 days of isolation – FCTA

The individuals exposed during the burial of late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, have completed their 14 days of isolation. Tests were conducted on them and they have all tested negative for COVID–19, the FCT Administration announced in a statement.

According to a tweet posted on Sunday night on the FCTA handle, Mohammed Kawu, acting secretary, health and human services secretariat at the FCTA,  said all those identified and isolated, tested negative and have been reunited with their families.

The tweet reads:

The individuals have now been reunited with their families. This was made known by the Acting Secretary, Dr. M. B. Kawu.

— Official FCTA (@OfficialFCTA) May 3, 2020

The CBN and Bankers’ Committee has announced the suspension of laying-off of staff

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed banks to halt any plans to sack staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was taken after a special meeting of the bankers’ committee held on Saturday, May 2, to review the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Nigerian banking industry.

A statement signed and released by CBN spokesman, Isaac Okorafor, on Sunday, said that going forward, the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, will have to be consulted before any bank staff is dismissed during this pandemic.

“In order to help minimize and mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families and livelihoods, no bank in Nigeria shall retrench or lay-off any staff of any cadre (including full-time and part-time)”, the statement reads.

#CBN Lifts the temporary Suspension of Cheque Clearing in the Nigerian Clearing System…https://t.co/cxlrlHp79o

— Central Bank of Nigeria (@cenbank) April 28, 2020

The statement reads:

Mike Pompeo says that the US has “enormous evidence” that COVID-19 originated in a lab in Wuhan

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo on Sunday stepped up administration claims that China mounted efforts to hide the extent of the coronavirus spread, including concealing the severity while stockpiling medical supplies.

“I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan”, the U.S. Secretary of State said this on ‘ABC This Morning’. He goes on to detail how Communist China poses an ongoing threat to the world and how China refused to take action that would’ve kept the world safe.

Watch his interview below:

Boris Johnson to co-host the virtual coronavirus Global Response International Pledging Conference

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 23: Newly elected British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during the Conservative Leadership announcement at the QEII Centre on July 23, 2019 in London, England. After a month of hustings, campaigning and televised debates the members of the UK’s Conservative and Unionist Party have voted for Boris Johnson to be their new leader and the country’s new Prime Minister, replacing Theresa May. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

There are now more than 186,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK and 28,446 people with the virus have died. The actual number of cases is estimated to be higher. Until recently it was mostly those in hospital and some NHS and care staff who were being tested – but the testing programme has now been extended.

British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson will say the discovery of a coronavirus vaccine is the “most urgent shared endeavour of our lifetimes” at an international pledging conference today, Monday. The virtual conference is aiming to raise $8 billion and is being co-hosted by the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the European Commission.

According to a Downing Street statement, the UK is currently the biggest global donor in the efforts to find a vaccine, pledging £388 million ($483 million) for research. The UK money allocated to funding a vaccine is part of a larger fund worth £744 million ($926 million) to “help end the pandemic and support the global economy,” the statement also said.

Speaking to the conference, the Prime Minister will say:

To win this battle, we must work together to build an impregnable shield around all our people, and that can only be achieved by developing and mass producing a vaccine.

The more we pull together and share our expertise, the faster our scientists will succeed. The race to discover the vaccine to defeat this virus is not a competition between countries, but the most urgent shared endeavour of our lifetimes.

It’s humanity against the virus – we are in this together, and together we will prevail.