News
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:
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 and only officers from Grade Level 15 and above have express permission to come to work from Tuesday. All other essential officers that may need to be at work will be informed by the Accounting Officer of each Ministry.There will be a daily curfew from 8pm to 6am and all movement within these hours are prohibited, except for people on essential services, which are agro-products, petroleum products, relief materials and food supplies.
It should be common knowledge by now that it is absolutely mandatory that we ALL wear a facemask in public spaces. We must do all we can to stop the spread of #COVID19 so we must all take responsibility and do what is necessary to remain safe.
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:
MALLAM ABBA KYARI’s BURIAL: The FCT Health & Human Services Secretariat is happy to announce that the individuals exposed during the burial of late COS to the President have completed their 14days of isolation. Tests were conducted and they have all tested NEGATIVE to #COVID19.The individuals have now been reunited with their families. This was made known by the Acting Secretary, Dr M. B. Kawu.
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.
