Category: Update on coronavirus

Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has asked members to stay away from chamber if they have had close contact with COVID-19 patients or suspected cases. Gbajabiamila issued the warning at the close of plenary on Tuesday. He pleaded with the lawmakers not sure of their health status to go into self-isolation for 14 days. He said, “Honourable colleagues, I have a special announcement. Please, it is an appeal to the leadership and all members, including myself, deputy speaker, leaders, whips, all members. If there’s anybody that has…

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The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, on Monday, decried the nationwide non-compliance with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19’s guidelines for gradual reopening of the economy. Ihekweazu who stated this during the task force press briefing in Abuja,  warned that President Muhammadu Buhari, could restore the lockdown if the guidelines were not observed and there was a surge in coronavirus cases. The President had, on March 30,  imposed a two-week lockdown on the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states, but at the…

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Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano State Governor, says he has the nod of the President Muhammadu Buhari to relax the 14-day lockdown imposed on the state. Buhari pronounced the lockdown on the state during his address to the nation on Monday as part of measures to curb the rising coronavirus infections recorded in the state. Ganduje had subsequently hailed the decision but pleaded with the President to ease the lockdown. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, on Saturday evening, the governor said he has the consent of the…

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President Donald Trump announced Friday that the experimental drug remdesivir has been authorized by US regulators for emergency use against COVID-19. It comes after the antiviral made by Gilead Sciences was shown in a major clinical trial to shorten the time to recovery in some coronavirus patients, the first time any medicine has had a proven benefit against the disease. “It is really a really promising situation,” Trump said at the White House, where he was joined by Gilead’s CEO Daniel O’Day. “We are humbled with this first step for…

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Chief Raymond Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications, his daughter-in-law and six members of his family have tested positive for coronavirus. This comes three days after his son and Chairman of the board of the company, Raymond Dokpesi Jnr, tested positive for the virus. A test conducted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on the Dokpesi family came out positive for the eight members of the family. It stated that other affected family members were, on Friday, conveyed by the NCDC to the isolation centre at the University of Abuja…

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Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State Governor,  on Friday extended the lockdown of the state by one week from May 4 to 11, 2020. Abiodun also extended the relaxation period from seven to 10 hours. The governor said this in a broadcast at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta. He said his decision was in line with the order of the President Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari had in his presidential broadcast announced a curfew to be imposed on Ogun, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory between 8pm and 6am from May 4. But Abiodun…

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Controversial bill empowers FG to convert private properties to isolation centre A controversial bill sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, and two of his colleagues, seeking to empower the Federal Government to convert any property in the country, including private properties, to isolation centres has continued to attract criticisms. Apart from members of the House who protested that they were not served copies while it was read at plenary on Tuesday, before it hurriedly passed first and second readings on the same day, lawyers…

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Kano state Health Ministry has revealed via Twitter that the state has recorded three new coronavirus fatalities, shortly after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control announced 92 new infections in the state, bringing the total confirmed cases to 311. “As at 11:25pm 1st May 2020, 92 new cases of COVID-19 cases confirmed. Total confirmed cases in Kano State are now 311. “3 additional COVID-19 deaths were recorded. Total COVID-19 deaths are now 8,” the state Health Ministry tweeted. Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said on Friday that a 14-man team…

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NAFDAC, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, on Friday said it was concerned about claims in the social media that the agency had approved drugs and vaccine for COVID-19, describing the claim as misleading. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said in a statement that although a research was ongoing to find cure for COVID-19, there was no drug or vaccine for the virus yet. She said, “NAFDAC is concerned about several reports and claims on social media and other media on drugs or vaccine…

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113 health workers had been infected with COVID-19. This was made known by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie  Ehanire, on Thursday. Ehanire, who disclosed this at the press briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja,  said  they included workers in the public and private health facilities. He, therefore, reiterated his advice to health workers that it was dangerous to treat coronavirus patients without using personal protective equipment. The minister had, at the task force media briefing in Abuja on April 23, said about 40 health workers in the…

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