‘12 of 14 Lagos COVID-19 deaths occurred in private hospitals’ (Guardian)
Lagos State government yesterday said that the state had recorded 14 deaths from the COVID-19 out of which only two died in its facilities, while others died in private hospitals and also on their way to the state facilities.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this yesterday while providing update on efforts by the state government to contain the pandemic, said the state government was being proactive because it was better to be over-prepared than to be under-prepared.
Abayomi also said that new isolation centres were being built to add more bed spaces aside the hotel facilities that had been provided by the state government that would be converted to isolation centres.
He implored residents that have symptoms of COVID-19 not to stay at home, as it complicates issues. Read more
Confusion over alleged killing of man by Lagos hoodlums (Punch)
The father of one Junaid Adewale, identified simply as Mr Owenco, allegedly lost his life when suspected members of the One Million Boys terrorised residents of Ijesha in the Surulere area of Lagos State on Saturday.
However, the alleged killing is shrouded in confusion as the state police command denied knowledge of the incident.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspected gang members created tension in the area around 7pm and allegedly used weapons to attack the residents they encountered on their way.
Owenco, who was said to be elderly, was reported to be on his way to a destination, when the crisis suddenly started, but while he was attempting to escape with other residents, he was said to have stumbled and fell to the ground in the process. Read more
Lagos, Oyo, Edo discharge 12 patients as Ogun, Bauchi records three cases (Nation)
Twelve COVID-19 patients were on Sunday discharged in Lagos, Edo and Oyo states.
Bauchi and Ogun states anounced three cases.
Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in a tweet said: “I am delighted to once again intimate you on the success we are recording in the battle against the lethal COVID19 infection.
“Today, four more persons; all male were discharged to reunite with their families and the community. Read more
Nigeria confirms 86 new coronavirus cases, total now 627 (DailyTrust)
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Sunday reported 86 new cases of coronavirus, taking the total of confirmed cases in Nigeria to 627. The cases were reported in Lagos, Abuja (FCT), Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Jigawa and Borno.
Daily Trust Online, had exclusively reported the index case in Borno state – a retired anesthetic nurse working with an international organisation in Pulka town of Gwoza LGA who died of COVID-19 related symptoms. Lagos recorded 70 cases while FCT reported 7 cases. Katsina and Akwa Ibom confirmed three cases each, Bauchi recorded one. Jigawa and Borno recorded index case each. Read more
‘Deceased at Kaduna isolation centre was wrongly quarantined’ (Guardian)
Kaduna State Government has said that the 27-year-old man, who died in an isolation centre, was wrongly quarantined over suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection.
Tasiu Mohammed reportedly boarded a commercial vehicle from Ogun State and was dumped by other occupants of the vehicle along Western-Bypass in Kaduna because they suspected him to be a COVID-19 carrier.
Kaduna State Ministry of Health has issued an update on Mohammed, the distressed man in a viral video a few days ago. Read more
Why we’re yet to release 110 trucks of seized rice, by Customs (Nation)
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Sunday said it does not warehouse all the seized bags of rice at the same location.
Spokesman Joseph Attah told our Abuja correspondent on the phone that the bags of rice were warehoused at Customs commands.
He said the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Services, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouk, could only access 40 of the 150 trucks that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the NCS to release to her as COVID-19 palliatives,
According to him, the bags of rice are also subject to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) test and certification before their release for onward distribution and consumption. Read more
COVID-19: Abuja fun seekers defy lockdown, sneak into neighbouring towns (DailyTrust)
Fun seekers have defied the lockdown order on the nation’s capital, sneaking into Nasarawa State suburb to unwind. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that most of the fun seekers bribe their way through the several checkpoints to get to their destinations. A NAN correspondent, who visited the relaxation spots, popularly called the red light zones, discovered that most of those patronising the joints came all the way from Abuja to catch fun. Some of the areas visited by NAN include, Abacha Road, Gidan Drama, off Guruku Medical Centre road, Mararaba, Tee Joint, Ado Road, Point and kill joints at One Man village and Uke, also known as Zimbabwe, where many of the fun seekers were seen enjoying themselves. Read more
Coronavirus should not bury Christians’ faith, says Kaigama (Nation)
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, on Sunday urged Christians not to allow the dreaded Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to bury their faith in God.
He admonished Nigerians to be their brothers’ keepers and assist one another to curb the spread of the disease.
He advised all to continue to assist government in the fight against the pandemic, which has claimed lives across the globe.
Rev. Kaigama gave the advice in his homily at the Twelve Apostles Church, Abuja, which was made available to The Nation. Read more
COVID-19: Kwara sets up mobile court to try lockdown violators (DailyTrust)
Kwara State Government yesterday said it has set up a mobile court to prosecute those who violate the stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
The State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Technical Committee on the Prevention of COVID-19, Kayode Alabi stated this while briefing journalists in Ilorin. He advised residents to obey the lockdown order to stay safe and avoid being arrested by security agents and face prosecution. Read more
WHO: No evidence survivors of COVID-19 are immune from the disease (VOA)
Senior World Health Organization officials say there is no evidence that people who have survived a bout of coronavirus become immune from the deadly disease and cannot pass the infection on to others.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the world with breathtaking speed and no immediate end in sight.
Anxious governments increasingly are grabbing on to the hope that those who have become sickened by this infectious disease will become immune and not pass it on to others. Read more
Number of people hospitalised for Covid-19 in France falls for fifth straight day (France24)
France on Sunday reported 395 deaths from Covid-19 in 24 hours as the number of new hospitalisations continued a slow decline.
France – which has recorded close to 20,000 deaths as a result of the pandemic and has the fourth-highest toll in the world – has been in virtual lockdown for nearly five weeks and is due to start lifting some confinement measures from May 11.
Philippe told a news conference that falls in the number of people in intensive care were one of the encouraging signals that pressures on hospitals were easing. Read more
At least 10 dead after gunman opens fire in Canadian town (Metro)
At least 10 people have been killed, including a police officer, after a gunman went on a shooting rampage in a Canadian town, officials have confirmed.
The gunman, identified as Gabriel Wortman, was shot and killed, confirmed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in a press conference on Sunday. He was said to be partially dressed in the Mounties uniform and was driving a ‘mock-up’ police car at one point in the shooting spree, which took place on Saturday night in the small rural town of Portapique. Police have provided no motive for the attack. Read more
Coronavirus deaths down in NY, but Cuomo urges precautions (France24)
The coronavirus death toll in New York dropped again, a sign that Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday means the state is “on the other side of the plateau” and that ongoing social distancing practices are working to stem the spread of the virus.
Cuomo said 507 people died on Saturday, down 43 from the previous day. Hospitalisations and other medical indicators are trending downward.
But Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio maintained their warnings that people in New York City and the rest of the state need to stay vigilant to curb the spread of the virus. Read more
Food banks are feeding more New Yorkers amid coronavirus unemployment crisis (NYPost)
The vast ranks of newly unemployed are straining the capacities of food banks, soup kitchens and pop-up services across New York City.
One user, Brittany, a 35-year-old Ph.D. candidate at Teachers College at Columbia University, who declined to give her full name, says she started visiting food services at Salem United Methodist Church in Harlem a few weeks ago after her partner lost his bartending job.
“I’ve been going two or three times a week for lunch,” she told Side Dish. “The fresh air makes it seem a little less scary.” Read more
Dad pulls his own tooth out because he can’t get a dentist in lockdown (Metro)
A dad who was refused an emergency dental appointment because of coronavirus has pulled his own tooth out using a pair of pliers.
Billy Taylor, 33, spent an hour working the infected teeth out with the help of his young son as the pain had become ‘excruciating’. He had tried to get a dentist and even called 111, but he claims he was told that he wouldn’t be seen unless he was struggling to breathe. Read more
Piers Morgan apologises to Lady Gaga after One World: Together at Home concert raises $127 million (Metro)
Piers Morgan apologised to Lady Gaga after her One World: Together at Home benefit concert raised $127.9 million (£102.3m) for coronavirus relief. The Good Morning Britain host has had a change of heart after questioning the singer’s (along with Global Citizen and World Health Organisation) benefit concert plans. Gaga originally retweeted Global Citizen’s tweet stating the amount they raised and said: ‘I am so humbled to have been a part of this project. Thank you @GlblCtzn. Thank you @WHO. I love you.’ Read more
Gwyneth Paltrow donates Oscars dress she once dissed to charity auction (PageSix)
Gwyneth Paltrow announced she is donating an old gown she wore to the Oscars to help provide coronavirus relief.
The actress’ act of kindness is a part of the All-In charity challenge spearheaded by Leonardo DiCaprio that allows contestants a chance to win once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences by celebrities.
The gown Paltrow decided to auction off is a hand-beaded silver Calvin Klein dress she wore to the 2000 Oscars. The Goop founder explained she believed it was a “good one to donate” because its “end of the 90s” style has since made a comeback in the fashion industry. Read more
Tammy Abraham admits he’d ‘love’ to play alongside Manchester United star Marcus Rashford (Metro)
Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham admits he’d ‘love’ to play alongside Manchester United star Marcus Rashford. The Chelsea ace has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign at Stamford Bridge, scoring 15 goals in 34 appearances for the Blues this term. Abraham’s form has earned him a call-up to England’s national set-up and he scored his first goal for the Three Lions in a 7-0 win against Montenegro. That’s given Abraham the opportunity to see Rashford up close and the Chelsea ace says he’s the player that’s most impressed him on national duty. Read more
Etuhu, Siasia, others’ match-fixing cases bad for Nigeria’s image, says Udeze (Guardian)
In recent times, Nigerian footballers have been enmeshed in match-fixing and other corruption charges either by the world football-governing body, FIFA or some national associations, a situation that has cast doubts on the integrity of players from the country.
A few years ago, former director general of the defunct National Sports Commission (NSC), Amos Adamu, was banned from all football related activities by FIFA for allegedly demanding gratification before the votes were cast for the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup competitions. Read more
It was difficult adjusting to life in Europe – Moses Simon (Nation)
Nigeria international Moses Simon has revealed that it took him time before he could adapt to life in Europe.
The Nantes forward, who is on loan from Levante, has spent seven years in Europe since signing a pre-contractual agreement with AFC Ajax on 10th May 2013 while at GBS Academy before making his first appearance for the Dutch club on 13 July 2013 in pre-season friendly match against De Graafschap.
The Super Eagles winger shared his experience during his early days in Europe in a live Instagram interview with Ojbsports. Read more
Kobe Bryant crash victims’ families file wrongful death suits (NYPost)
Families of four victims killed in the Kobe Bryant crash have joined the NBA legend’s widow in filing wrongful death lawsuits against the helicopter company, a report said.
Former college baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa, who played basketball with Gianna Bryant, along with girls basketball coach Christina Mauser, were on their way to Bryant’s basketball facility for the 13-year-old hoopsters’ game when the chopper crashed Jan. 26 in Calabasas, Calif., killing all nine onboard. Read more
Odion Ighalo heaps praise on ‘incredible’ Manchester United star Anthony Martial (Metro)
Manchester United forward Odion Ighalo has revealed Anthony Martial is the player that’s impressed him most since his move to Old Trafford.
The Nigerian completed a shock move to the north-west in January when he signed a short-term loan deal from Shanghai Shenhua. The 30-year-old is a lifelong United fan and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen on signing the Nigerian on a permanent basis this summer after he bagged four goals in his first eight appearances. Read more
Bulls were ‘traveling cocaine circus’ before Michael Jordan arrived (NYPost)
Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls have long been considered the NBA’s model franchise. But before he got there, they were far from it — both on and off the court.
When the Bulls drafted Jordan out of the University of North Carolina in 1984, Chicago had missed the playoffs in seven of the previous nine seasons, despite the fact 16 of the league’s 23 teams made the postseason each year. The franchise was generating such little interest that an indoor soccer team, the Chicago Sting, would outdraw it at Chicago Stadium. Read more
US Basketball player to play for D’Tigers at 2021 Olympics (Nation)
Nigerian-American and Brooklyn Nets Guard Spencer Dinwiddie is in the process of acquiring a Nigerian passport to be eligible to play for the D’Tigers at the 2021 Summer Olympics Games.
Dinwiddie appeared to confirm his intention Saturday, writing in response to an online report by The Athletic on Twitter: “Well, now y’all know lol.”
Dinwiddie was born on April 6, 1993 to a Nigerian father Malcolm Dinwiddie.
He played college basketball for the Colorado Buffaloes and earned first-team all-conference honours in the Pac-12 as a sophomore in 2013. Read more