Home » COVID-19 » Page 150

COVID-19

UN: Somalia faces dire threats from conflict, natural disasters, coronavirus

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is appealing for strong International support to help millions of Somalis facing a growing number of catastrophic threats from conflict, natural disasters and the potential spread of COVID-19. More than 220,000 Somalis have fled their homes this year because of drought, heavy flooding and increased violence and atrocities by al-Shabab militants. This brings the total number of those forced from their homes in the country to 2.6 million. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR says the conflict and natural and climate-related disasters are crippling the country’s economy and threatening the safety and welfare of the displaced Somalis. It warns impending desert locust swarms, which have been creating havoc across parts of East Africa, could destroy much of the n...

Rivers inaugurates three coronavirus testing machines at state university teaching hospital

In its determination to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state, the Rivers State Government Friday evening inaugurated three PCR machines at its Covid-19 testing centre at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt. The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Teaching Hospital, Dr. Friday Aaron, said Shell Petroleum Development Company donated two of the PCR machines to the state government while the third came from Total E and P. He said: “This evening we are here to celebrate, because it has been our goal to get a testing centre in Rivers State. Today, I am happy to announce that we can now do Covid-19 tests at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital courtesy of the Rivers State Government ably led by our own Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. “We also tha...

Coronavirus: They’re treated like prisoners – Dubai returnees

Some Nigerians recently evacuated from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, have stated that they are being treated like prisoners. They told newsmen that the hotel where they are being quarantined in Lagos is surrounded by soldiers who do not allow them to even get fresh air or receive some sunlight within the compound. One of them, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being victimized, said, “Sincerely, we have not had it good since we returned from Dubai. We all tested negative for COVID-19 but we are being treated as if we have the disease. “We have been here for three days now but we have not been allowed to even breathe fresh air or even feel sunlight on our skin. It is as if we are in prison. Even the food we are being given is not good at all. We are just managing it.” Another evacue...

Gunmen shoot police inspector dead in Edo

A police inspector, Felix Egbon, was on Friday night shot dead by unknown gunmen who attacked a team of police operatives in Auchi, Edo State. This was contained in a statement issued Saturday evening by the state Police Command spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, titled “Attack on policemen and the gruesome murder of a police inspector.” The statement stated that Inspector Egbon, who was attached to the Auchi division, was on patrol with his team, enforcing the COVID-19 curfew imposed by the federal government when they were ambushed. “Edo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public of the attack on the operatives of Auchi Divisional Police Headquarters, Auchi, Edo State and the gruesome murder of a Police Inspector, Felix Egbon during the process. “On Friday the 8th of May, 2020,...

Governor Sanwo-Olu: Success of easing lockdown depends on residents’ compliance

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has decried the non-compliance to measures to contain the Coronavirus pandemic by some residents of the state. Governor Sanwo-Olu who stated this on Saturday while giving the 11th Update on Coronavirus in the state, reiterated that the success of the gradual easing of the lockdown is dependent upon the compliance of Lagos residents. He said that the state government “will not hesitate to review the terms of this easing if we continue to see evidence that Lagosians are determined to flout the rules. “The continued maintenance of this easing is only guaranteed when people consistently comply.” While also describing as unacceptable, the poor compliance level with the COVID-19 protocols, including physical and social distancing, wearing of face masks, no...

Lagos targets scaling up coronavirus testing capacity to 2,000 daily

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has disclosed plans to scale up its testing capacity for COVID-19 from 850 to 1500 and 2000 daily. This is subject to the availability of COVID-19 extraction kits considering the acute global shortage. Sanwo-Olu, disclosed this among other measures, while giving an update on COVID-19 situation in the state, during a live broadcast, Saturday, 11th in the series. According to the governor, who is the Incident Commander, “Let me say, as I have said before, that the success of our efforts, at ramping up testing, is part of the reason why we are seeing a significant escalation in the number of cases in Lagos State. “Quite clearly, also, we are firmly in the community transmission stage of the infection, and the only way to be sure we are making all th...

Bandits attack Katsina villages, kill one

No fewer than 200 bandits on Thursday night reportedly attacked Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing a man identified as Alaramma Kano, 57, while injuring three other persons who were rushed to the hospital. Eyewitnesses said the bandits carried out attacks on two villages in the area at about 11.30 pm and rustled some cows. Katsina State Police Command Spokesperson, Gambo Isah, confirmed the development but said security operatives were on top of the situation. He said, “On May 7, 2020, at about 23.30, over two hundred armed bandits with sophisticated weapons including AK 47 rifles simultaneously attacked Tsugunni, Yandaka, Salihawar Duba, Garin Goje, Watangadiya and Dutse Maizane villages in Batsari Local Government Area. “They killed one Alaramma Kabiru Kano, 57, at G...

Rivers governor splashes N5 million on community which reported unlawful entry of cattle, bearers

Governor Nyesom Wike on Friday rewarded Rumuigbo community, Obio Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers state, with N5 million for providing information which resulted in the arrest of trucks, cattle, and passengers who sneaked into Port Harcourt in breach of the state’s COVID-19 restriction orders. The Governor in a Friday broadcast on state of his administration’s fight against coronavirus also vented frustration on perceived Federal Government (FG) and security agents sabotage of efforts at containing the pandemic in the state. He said, “I commend Rumuigbo community vigilante for rising to the challenge, as any responsible community should do, by intercepting a lorry-load of livestock with 50 persons who illegally entered the State in violation of the lockdown orders. For this show of cour...

Lagos searching for coronavirus patients who escaped after tests

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, has said they go in search of patients who go missing after their samples have been tested for COVID-19. Abayomi, speaking during a press briefing on Friday, said such patients flee their homes and cannot be reached on their mobile phone lines. According to him, this is one of the reasons the isolation centres in the states are not fully occupied. “There is also a situation that we experience; when we test people, sometimes they find it difficult to find them. The ambulances will go into communities, people will flee their homes, and they make it difficult for us to find them. “If you have tested positive, we expect you to cooperate with us and make yourself available so that you can be admitted and accessed. “Our isolation facilities are ...

Bassnectar Hosts #EmpathyArt Fundraiser Gallery for COVID-19 Relief

Bassnectar‘s nonprofit charity initiative, Be Interactive, has been known to stand behind some important causes in recent years, including bringing clean water to Flint, Michigan, promoting good mental health, and much more. Now, the charity is hosting a unique art gallery to benefit those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Be Interactive has partnered with Colorado-based nonprofit Conscious Alliance in order to benefit visual artists, as well as COVID-19 relief efforts. Visual artists will be selling their work and displaying it online with the hashtag #EmpathyArt. Profits generated will go to both the artists themselves as well as Be Interactive’s COVID-19 micro-grants, or Conscious Alliance’s hunger relief efforts, which have distributed over 500,000 meals to ...

Beloved Barcelona Music Festival Sónar Officially Postponed

As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the music community and entertainment industry at large, it just claimed another victim in Sónar Festival. The 2020 edition of Sónar Festival was set to feature a number of major artists from the world electronic music, like Eric Prydz, The Chemical Brothers, Charlotte de Witte, and Carl Cox, among others. The beloved Barcelona-based music and arts festival took to Twitter today to announce the heartbreaking news that it was forced to postpone its 2020 iteration due to COVID-19 cocerns. In addition to the announcement of the new festival dates, June 17th to 19th, the official statement from Sónar’s organizers also informed fans that they will be receiving an email on May 19th, 2020 with information on tickets and benefits. Sónar&...

Pfizer, BioNTech dose U.S first participants of trial coronavirus vaccine

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE announced on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, that the first participants have been dosed in the U.S in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the BNT162 vaccine program to prevent COVID-19. The trial is part of a global development program, and the dosing of the first cohort in Germany was completed last week. The Phase 1/2 study is designed to determine the safety, immunogenicity and optimal dose level of four mRNA vaccine candidates evaluated in a single, continuous study. The dose level escalation portion (Stage 1) of the Phase 1/2 trial in the U.S will enrol up to 360 healthy subjects into two age cohorts (18-55 and 65-85 years of age). The first subjects immunized in Stage 1 of the study will be healthy adults 18-55 years of age. Older adults will only be immunized with ...