COVID-19 testing still our weakest response - Ihekweazu

 

   Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has revealed that the nation still falls short on testing, saying that it is the weakest spot in it's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  According to Ihekweazu the agency is working aggressively to increase the testing across the country, as it ambitiously targets 2 million tests in 3 months. Speaking on Wednesday, Iheakweazu said;

“We are working very aggressively to increase the testing in Nigeria. This is one of the weakest part of our response because we started from a very low base initially but we have worked extremely hard to move from 5 to 35 laboratories right now with their ability to test for COVID-19.

“We have carried out the highest number of test over the last few days and we will keep increasing this progressively across the country.

“Testing is such an important entry point in the response because of the number of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic infections that we have. We have to really ramp up our testing because it is an eye into the outbreak. We can’t manage something we can’t measure sufficiently.

“We also have our eyes on the future because we never want to be in a situation that we are right now. The Africa Centre for Disease Control has been a great support for this.

“We set a very ambitious target for ourselves about a month ago, to test two million people in 3 months. We are not yet meeting that target but we are well on our way to do so as we introduce new testing opportunities using the genexpert platform, the Abbot platform that we use for HIV into the testing apparatus in Nigeria.”

Popular radio personality, Dan Foster dies of covid-19

   

 

  Popular award-winning broadcaster, Dan Foster has been reported dead. The versatile radio veteran was said to have died of the novel Covid-19 virus. His wife, Lovina is reportedly at the Yaba Isolation center, Lagos, on treatment. He is also survived by three children.

  Daniel ‘Dan’ Foster – popularly known as The Big Dawg and Top Dawg was an an Idol series judge and held a similar position with the Got Talent franchise. Foster worked with numerous radio stations in the United States of America, and Virgin Island, before moving to Nigeria in 2000.

Nigeria Records 490 New Cases Of COVID-19, 31 More Deaths

 

   The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Wednesday said Nigeria has recorded 490 new cases of the novel coronavirus and an additional 31 deaths linked to the virus.

The new figures put total infections in the country at 17,148. Although 5,623 persons have been successfully treated and discharged, 455 casualties have been recorded to the virus, according to the NCDC.

In the latest reporting, Lagos state posted 142 new cases, while the Federal Capital Territory contributed 60.

Other states with new cases include Bayelsa (54), Rivers (39), Delta (37), Oyo (30), Kaduna (26), Imo (23), Enugu (19), Gombe (11), Ondo (10), Bauchi (8), Ogun (7), Borno (6), and Benue (1).

Imo state House of Assembly shut down as lawmaker tests positive for Coronavirus

   

  The Imo State House of Assembly has been shut down for two weeks after one of the lawmakers tested positive for Coronavirus.

   Announcing this to newsmen, the chairman of the state's task force on COVID-19, Professor Maurice Iwu, said samples of all other lawmakers and their aides have been taken to the laboratory for testing to ascertain if anyone of them has been infected with the virus.

 ''The House of Assembly will be shut for two weeks to enable us fumigate the place and also to allow members to be on self-isolation until we know whether they are COVID-19 positive or negative'' he said

.Imo state has 136 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 

President Magufuli declares Tanzania free of Coronavirus

   

   President John Magufuli of Tanzania on Monday June 8, declared the East African country "coronavirus-free". 

   The President who attributed the claimed success over the worldwide pandemic to prayers and fasting that the people of Tanzania offered to God,  also commended the priest and worshippers for not wearing gloves and masks to protect themselves from the virus.

 

Magufuli said; 

    “It gives me joy to be the leader of a country that puts God first, God loves Tanzania.  “The works of the devil will always be defeated in Tanzania because Tanzanians love God and that is why even the corona has been defeated by God.”

    This is coming after the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern over the government's strategy on the pandemic which includes not publishing data on the number of Coronavirus cases in the country. As at April 29 when the last official data was released, 509 cases and 21 deaths had been recorded in Tanzania.

   BBC reported that Mr Magufuli had said last week that only four patients were receiving treatment in the largest city, Dar es Salaam. He also dismissed a US embassy warning that hospitals in Dar es Salaam were "overwhelmed" and that the chances of contracting the virus was "extremely high". Kenya closed its borders with Tanzania and Somalia due to rising cases of imported COVID-19 cases.

Six NDDC Staff Test Positive for COVID-19

 

  Six staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have been confirmed positive for COVID-19.

  The commission disclosed this on its Twitter handle yesterday. The six staff were said to be attached to the office of the Executive Director (Projects), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, But Ojougboh was said to have tested negative for the disease.

  “As NDDC headquarters staff undergo isolation and Covid19 screening, six of 33 staff members in the Office of the Executive Director (Projects), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, have tested positive to Covid-19. However, Ojougboh tested negative,” the tweet read.

   Earlier, the headquarters of the agency was shut down after the confirmation that Ibanga Bassey Etang, one of its directors, died from complications of COVID-19.

5 more COVID-19 deaths recorded in Edo

 

   Five more COVID19 deaths have been recorded in Edo state bringing the total number of deaths from the viral disease to 24. The state governor, Godwin Obaseki, disclosed this on his Twitter handle today June 8.

According to the governor, most of the deceased patients are persons above 60 years old. He also disclosed that 13 more COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the state's isolation center.

''We have recorded 5 new #COVID19 deaths, bringing the no. of fatalities to 24. 1 of the deaths is at Stella Obasanjo Hospital and 4 at

@ubthng

Most of the deaths are persons above 60 years. Also, 13 patients have been discharged. Please obey safety guidelines and stay safe.'' he wrote

Brazil overtakes Italy as country with third-highest Coronavirus deaths; Toll tops 34,000

 

  Brazil has overtaken Italy as the country with the third-highest Coronavirus death toll after a daily record of 1,473 fatalities took its total tally to more than 34,000.

   The figure published by Brazil’s health ministry on Thursday night showed that only the United States and the United Kingdom have registered more deaths from the disease.   The official number of infections rose to nearly 615,000, the second-largest caseload in the world, behind the US.

 

NAFDAC warns of fake COVID-19 drugs in circulation

  

  The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned of fake COVID-19 drugs in circulation.

  Prof. Moji Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director-General, said the agency discovered fake Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine in circulation across the country.

Speaking during a webinar in Lagos State on Wednesday, Adeyeye also disclosed that fake face masks and hand sanitizers were in circulation. She explained that this was discovered during post-marketing surveillance of COVID-19 medical products.

The NAFDAC boss said: “Post-marketing surveillance is part and parcel of NAFDAC. We stepped it up because we knew that companies were changing formula and formulations for us. “We see falsified Chloroquine without any active ingredients in it. Of course, we also have had fake sanitizers and masks, which we have to deal with regulatory-wise.

Ebonyi shuts government offices as cabinet members test positive

 

    Ebonyi Governor David Umahi has directed the shutting down of all government offices in the state with immediate effect to pave way for decontermination.

   He said the order became imperative followed the contraction of COVID-19 by some Executive Council members. Umahi gave the directive in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Orji Uchenna Orji. He expressed concerns over the increasing cases of coronavirus in the state, which stands at 75 out of the over 3,000 sample tests conducted.

  Although he did not give the names of the cabinet members who tested positive to the virus , the Governor described the situation as disturbing. He noted the positive cabinet members are receiving treatment and all in stable conditions. The government offices, he directed, will be shut from Thursday June 4- Wednesday June 10 to allow for decontamination.

  “All civil servants shall work from their respective homes within this period but shall leave their phones open to respond to official imperatives. “All Exco members and Government officials especially of the Ministries of Finance and Budget are advised to undergo COVID-19 test within this seven days period.

  “The Governor further advises that during this period of close down of Government offices, all workers especially from the two Ministries aforementioned should go into self isolation. “All site operations shall however remain open, but must be in strict observance of COVID-19 protocol.”

Nigerian govt to recruit COVID-19 volunteers

 

  The Nigerian government has announced plans to engage community volunteers for COVID-19. They will embark on house-to-house sensitisation on the dangers and spread of coronavirus. Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) briefing on COVID-19.

  He disclosed that the ministry was working with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, (NPHCDA) on the modalities. Ehanire explained that the targets were “high burden” Local Government Areas, as 20 LGAs contribute nearly 60 percent of the COVID-19 positive cases.

  He said the COVID-19 burden not evenly distributed within the country and that Kano and Lagos bears the burden. The minister noted that a team from the ministry is in Lagos on an appraisal visit, during which a situation analysis will be conducted.

  The team will also visit the contiguous Ogun State on the same mission. “The visits are in continuation of similar useful initiatives in the past to Kano, Katsina Sokoto, Jigawa, Gombe, and Borno, to share experience and ideas, align strategy and support each other,” Ehanire said.

Oyo begins community testing as COVID-19 cases rise

 

    Oyo State has recorded 15 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the state to 317.

  

  The latest figures, released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Tuesday night revealed that the 15 cases in Oyo were among the 241 new cases recorded in 14 states.

  The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) of the state COVID-19 Task Force said it would begin the community testing for COVID-19 on Wednesday. The exercise is to determine the behaviour of the virus in the state. The testing, expected to hold in 10 locations, will kick off in three different sites in Ibadan.

Late NDDC Director tested positive for COVID-19

 

 The late acting Director, Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Ibanga Etang, tested positive for coronavirus, the commission has revealed.

NDDC, in a statement by its Director, Coroporate Affairs, Charles Odili, said the commission was compelled to make the declaration after getting clearance from the deceased family.

“The family has authorised the Commission to announce the late Executive Director tested positive to COVID-19,” Odili said. He said the Rivers State Ministry of Health wrote to the commission to also confirm that the late director died of complications arising from COVID-19.

He said: “The ministry has, therefore, directed the Commission to order all management staff to go into self-isolation for a period of 14 days with effects from today, While seeking the cooperation of the organisation in tracing staff and contractors who have had close contact with the deceased.

“During the meeting with the family, they expressed fervent desire, that the death of the Executive Director should not be politicised, wishing to be left alone to mourn with dignity. This also is the position of the Commission.

“We pray for the peaceful repose of the soul of our Executive Director Finance and Administration, Elder lbanga Bassey Etang”.

NDDC recently shut down the commission’s corporate headquarters following COVID-19 scare triggered by the death of Etang, who was a member of the Interim Management Committee (IMC).

Etang reportedly died at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port Harcourt after a brief illness.

Etang, a former Chairman of Esit Eket Local Government, resigned his appointment as Special Assistant to Governor Emmanuel Udom on Projects on April 9, 2018 and formally registered with the All Progressives Congress (APC) at his Etebi Ward 7.

He was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 19 as part of a five-member IMC led by Prof. Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei.

COVID-19: Nigerian govt specify churches, mosques that will not be allowed to reopen

 

  The Federal Government has said churches and mosques that do not comply with “required measures”, will not be allowed to reopen. The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, stated this during the daily briefing on Tuesday.

  Aliyu also suggested that it was safer for congregants to worship at home, despite the lifting of ban on religious gatherings. He however warned that “Places of worship that do not comply with required measures should not be allowed to operate.

  “State authorities should not allow such churches or mosques to operate.” Aliyu explained that strict compliance to provided guidelines was important, as that nature of religious gatherings could see Coronavirus spread easily.

DAILYPOST

Taraba Govt sends 300 samples of suspected cases for testing

 

The Taraba State Technical Committee on Covid-19 has forwarded the samples of 300 persons traced from contact with positive cases to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Abuja for testing.

   Addressing a press conference in Jalingo, the committee chairman and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Innocent Vakkai, said the committee was expecting the results from the NCDC. A few days back, the Taraba State government announced that the state is now free of Coronavirus after treating and discharging patients with active cases.

   But now, the state has forwarded suspected cases for testing in Abuja. The commissioner for health, who disclosed this encouraged residents not to panic. The state government has partially relaxed the lockdown imposed on the state to enable citizens have windows of opportunity to engage in their businesses .

   But interstate transportation is still banned while courts are no longer in business. Disturbed by the challenges legal officers must be going through as a result of the partial lockdown, a senior legal practitioner presented a cheque of one million naira to young lawyers in the Taraba state NBA to buy needed palliative items.

TVC

Another 6 iSON staff test positive for coronavirus in Oyo

 

The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde has confirmed seven new cases of Coronavirus in the State. As of Sunday night, the latest figure has increased the total number recorded in the state to 240.

Makinde disclosed that six of the new cases have been identified as staff of iSON Xperiences. The tweet read:

 “OYO STATE COVID-19 TASK FORCE UPDATE (MAY 24, 2020);

“The COVID-19 confirmation tests for seven suspected cases came back POSITIVE. Six are from iSON Xperiences and one case is also from Ibadan SW Local Govt Area.

“So, the total number of confirmed cases in Oyo State is 240.

“Please call the Emergency Operations Centre on 08095394000 | 08095863000 | 08078288999 | 08078288800, if you have any COVID-19 symptoms: cough, fever, tiredness, body ache and shortness of breath.”

DAILYPOST

Nigeria Reports 313 More COVID-19 Cases

Coronavirus cases in Nigeria increased further on Sunday with 313 cases reported by the country, despite efforts by authorities to flatten the curve of the pandemic.

The new cases, confirmed by specialist agency the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Twitter took the country’s total infections to 7,389 out of which 2,263 have been discharged with 226 losing their lives.

Data from the NCDC showed that the cases were spread across 12 states and the FCT with Lagos accounting for the highest number of infections for the day with 148 cases.

313 new cases of #COVID19;

148-Lagos

36-FCT

27-Rivers

19-Edo

13-Kano

12-Ogun

11-Ebonyi

8-Nasarawa

8-Delta

7-Oyo

6- Plateau

5-Kaduna

4-Kwara

3-Akwa Ibom

3-Bayelsa

2-Niger

1-Anambra

7839 cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria

Discharged: 2263

Deaths: 226 pic.twitter.com/9xnlCpT902

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) May 24, 2020

27 More workers in Oyo company test positive for COVID-19

  

  Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said 27 more members of staff of iSON Xperiences located in the Ibadan South West Local Government Area of the state have tested positive for COVID-19.

At least 63 members of staff had previously tested positive for the virus and are currently being isolated. Makinde made this announcement on Friday via Twitter.

  He said, “The COVID-19 confirmation tests for 28 suspected cases came back positive. Twenty-seven are from iSON Xperiences and the last case is from Akinyele Local Government Area. So, the total number of confirmed cases in Oyo State is 190."

Bauchi state govt suspends lockdown imposed in the state

 

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has suspended the total lockdown imposed in the state and approved the opening of worship centers. Lawal Muazu, the Special Assistant to the governor on New Media, said the governor announced the suspension at a stakeholders meeting earlier today May 20.

   He said worship centers are expected to open throughout the state with total observance of all COVID-19 precautionary measures which includes wearing a face mask, social distancing among others. He said the lifting of the lockdown will be reviewed in two weeks based on the compliance of the stipulated guidelines.

   The governor announced the lockdown in April as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The state currently has 224 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

 

Two positive patients In Bauchi refuse isolation

 

Bauchi state government has lamented the refusal of two Coronavirus positive cases to isolate themselves. Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, yesterday, said two COVID-19 positive people have declined to be isolated in the state.

Mohammed who is also the Chairman, Contact Tracing Committee on Covid-19 in the state, said they refused to be isolated because they denied that Covid-19 is real. He revealed that security agencies in the state have been informed about the situation and they would soon be evacuated to an isolation centre.

Mohammed also revealed that two people taking care of one of the two Covid-19 positive people at home came forward for testing and one of them was tested positive for the novel Coronavirus.

“Some people are still having denial in their minds. We have two people who tested positive and have not reached out facilities. What’s more worrying is that, by their denial, they are infecting family members and other unsuspecting people.

“They refused to go (to isolation centre) because they are still denying the fact that Coronavirus is real. As they stay at home now, already two of the people taking care of one of them came for testing and one of them tested positive for Covid-19,” Mohammed said.

The medical doctor further advised residents of the state to keep abiding by all protocols as set by the government and health experts in order to contain the spread of the virus.