Coronavirus: Lagos discharges five patients (DailyTrust)
The Lagos State Government on Monday discharged five coronavirus patients who were receiving treatment at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba. This has increased the number of those who had recovered from the viral disease and discharged at the hospital from 3 to 8. Daily Trust reports that as at Monday morning, Lagos had 68 confirmed cases of COVID-19 recieving treatment at the hospital. Read more
Hoodlums butcher photographer, injure Lagos monarch, others (Punch)
There was panic in the Ajegunle-Apapa area of Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State recently when hoodlums known as the Awala Boys clashed and allegedly killed a photographer, Peter-Greg Edogbeji.
It was learnt that during the clash, which started around 6pm, the Awala Boys also took advantage of the tension in the community to rob unsuspecting members of the public of their valuables, injured scores of residents, including the traditional ruler of the Oke-Ira community, Taiye Layeni, who reportedly escaped death by a whisker.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the Awala Boys, a syndicate that specialises in stealing phones and using SIM cards to hack into bank accounts, started clashing with each other when the state government banned motorcycle and tricycle operations in some parts of the state to curb illegal activities. Read more
COVID-19: Lagos general hospitals in partial compliance with precautionary measures (Guardian)
Since the outbreak of coronavirus in Nigeria, the campaign on the need for citizens to take precautionary measures against the ravaging pandemic has heightened. Both government and health workers have been playing critical roles by organising sensitisation programmes and treating patients, but are healthcare centres taking enough precautionary steps?
The Guardian’s visit to four Lagos general hospitals to check compliance with the much advertised precautionary measures against the scourge revealed quite a lot. At Isolo General Hospital, a gateman was taking the temperature of visitors and patients going into the hospital, though he was not meticulous about it, as not everybody was scrutinized to ensure compliance.
Some metres away were two hand-washing points. And though they were visible enough, visitors were not mandated to wash their hands before going into the hospital. Read more
Abule Ado explosion: STOAN chairman calls for relocation of Apapa tank farms (DailyTrust)
In the wake of the massive explosion that rocked Abule-Ado town, in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Lagos, this month, the Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup, has asked the federal government to relocate petroleum depots, otherwise called tank farms, from Apapa and its adjoining areas. Speaking against the backdrop of the March 15 explosion, which claimed 23 lives and displaced more than 500 people from their homes, Haastrup urged the federal government to take urgent steps to avoid a repeat of the catastrophe by moving tank farms away from residential and crowded areas. Read more
Fire guts Ajao Estate buildings, Ebute Metta sawmill (Guardian)
A major fire disaster was yesterday averted in Ajao Estate area of Lagos State when a building went up in flames at about 4:15 p.m. The fire gutted the building at Steve Ihedigbo Street, close to the Chi Limited industry at Chivita Avenue, Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and spread to the house behind it before the arrival of the Lagos State fire service.
According to an eyewitness, the cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained though it started from the sitting room at the upper floor of the building, and would have consumed many houses in the residential neighbourhood but for the prompt response of the firefighters. A truck arrived at the scene barely 15 minutes after the fire broke out from the Oshodi fire station and a second truck arrived minutes later from Ejigbo. Read more
Ogun lockdown to begin Friday – Abiodun (Punch)
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, on Monday, said the lockdown of the state has been shifted to Friday.
Abiodun said the state government made a request to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to shift the lockdown which was supposed to take place on Monday night to Friday, April 3, 2020, and has been granted.
He said the request was to prepare for the lockdown by providing food for the people. Read more
165 persons arrested, 205 vehicles impounded in Kaduna for violating curfew (Guardian)
Kaduna State Police Command said it has arrested 165 persons and impounded 205 vehicles and tricycles for violating the curfew imposed in the state.
As part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, COVID-19, the command a few days ago was directed to enforce laws in the state.
PPRO of the Command, ASP Mohammad Jalige in a statement said the Command in collaboration with other security agencies had continued to enforce and closely monitor compliance of the respective Executive Orders. Read more
COVID-19: Cybercrime, fraud may rise due to lockdown, IG warns (Punch)
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has warned that cybercrime and fraud may increase on account of the lockdown imposed across the country to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
According to him, intelligence obtained from the International Criminal Police Organisation headquarters in Lyon, France, indicated that Internet fraud and other criminal activities were expected to rise at this time.
Adamu in a statement in Abuja, on Sunday, by the force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, said scammers in Nigeria and other parts of the globe have begun to create and set up fraudulent websites, e-commerce platforms, fake social media accounts and emails claiming to sell and deliver COVID-19 medical products. Read more
Lawmaker to Buhari: Suspend payment for water, electricity for two months (Nation)
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Air Force, Rep. Shehu Koko has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to extend her palliatives for COVID-19 to include suspension of payment of electricity and water bills for ordinary Nigerians for two months as a result of dwindling economic fortunes.
The lawmaker who represents Maiyama/Koko/Besse Federal Constituency (APC) Kebbi State said in a statement in Abuja that while government directives stopping the repayment on trader moni and other soft loans, electricity and water supply was critical to the people.
Koko said “Our Country is going through trying times just like the international communities. While we continue to pray for God to come to our rescue, I urge the Federal government to provide basic amenities like water and electricity at no cost especially those at the grassroots level without interruption. Read more
Spain’s coronavirus outbreak ‘slowing’ (BBC)
The growth in coronavirus cases in hard-hit Spain appears to be slowing, the country’s foreign minister has told the BBC.
Another 6,400 cases were confirmed on Monday, the lowest increase in new cases for a week. The total of deaths reached 7,340 after 812 new fatalities.
It comes as a national lockdown expanded to instruct non-essential workers to stay home for two weeks.
Meanwhile, the doctor leading the country’s response has tested positive.
Spain’s latest national figures show that the virus’ upwards curve appears to be flattening out, Foreign Minister Arancha González says. Read more
COVID-19: Prince Charles out of isolation, says royal officials (Punch)
Prince Charles, the eldest son and heir of Queen Elizabeth II, is no longer in quarantine after showing mild coronavirus symptoms, his office said on Monday.
“Clarence House has confirmed today that, having consulted with his doctor, the Prince of Wales is now out of self-isolation,” it said in a statement.
The 71-year-old prince, whose age put him among the most-risk category for the disease, is said to be in good health and abiding by government health guidelines.
Royal officials announced last Wednesday that Charles was in self-isolation at the queen’s sprawling Balmoral estate in northeast Scotland. He tested positive last Tuesday.
His wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 72, tested negative. Read more
Sierra Leone scraps pregnant girl school ban (Guardian)
Sierra Leone has overturned a ban on pregnant girls attending school, the government said Monday, adding that it sought to build a state that embraced every citizen.
In a statement, the education ministry said scrapping the ban “is the first step in building a radically inclusive Sierra Leone where all children… are able to live and learn in safety and dignity”.
In 2015, Sierra Leone banned pregnant girls from going to school after a surge in sexual violence and teenage pregnancies driven by the Ebola crisis. Read more
FDA approves chloroquine for emergency treatment of coronavirus (DailyTrust)
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorization for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat patients hospitalized with Covid-19, reports CNN. The drugs — which are used to treat malaria and other conditions — have been called game changers by President Donald Trump has described the drugs as game changers. Read more
Virus-fighting’ scientist gets magnets stuck in nose (BBC)
Daniel Reardon had to go to hospital to have the magnets removed
An Australian astrophysicist who hoped to create a device to help stop people catching the coronavirus has ended up in hospital – after getting magnets stuck up his nose.
Dr Daniel Reardon came up with a plan to create a necklace which would react if your hands were near your face.
Unfortunately, the device did not work quite as planned.
“My invention had the opposite effect – it buzzed continuously until a magnet was put close.” Read more
Facebook offers $100m to help virus-hit news media (Guardian)
Facebook said Monday it was donating $100 million to support news organizations globally hurting from the coronavirus pandemic, citing the need for reliable information about the crisis.
“The news industry is working under extraordinary conditions to keep people informed during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Facebook’s news partnerships director, Campbell Brown.
“At a time when journalism is needed more than ever, ad revenues are declining due to the economic impact of the virus. Local journalists are being hit especially hard, even as people turn to them for critical information to keep their friends, families and communities safe.” Read more
Coronavirus: Hungary government gets sweeping powers (BBC)
The Hungarian Parliament has voted by 137 to 53 to accept the government’s request for the power to rule by decree during the coronavirus emergency.
The law contains no time limit.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban promised to use the extraordinary powers he has been granted “proportionately and rationally”.
The leader of the opposition Jobbik party, Peter Jakab, said that the law placed the whole of Hungarian democracy in quarantine. Read more
From sofas and kitchens, music stars hold coronavirus concert fundraiser (Nation)
Billie Eilish sang on her sofa, Elton John played a keyboard belonging to his children, and the Backstreet Boys sang in harmony from five locations as dozens of musicians put on a fundraiser for the warriors against a coronavirus.
Those who performed from their homes for the “IHeart Living Room Concert for America” also included Mariah Carey, Camila Cabello, Alicia Keys, Shawn Mendes and Sam Smith.
The one-hour show, broadcast on Fox television without commercials, was the biggest joint effort in the pandemic to lift spirits, raise money for those in the frontlines, and remind Americans to wash their hands and keep their distance. Read more
Karim Benzema: ‘Olivier Giroud is no Formula 1 car’ (BBC)
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema says he is a “Formula 1 car” while former France team-mate Olivier Giroud is just a “go-kart.”
Benzema, 32, has not played for France since 2015 while Giroud started the most recent European qualifying win over Albania in November.
Chelsea’s Giroud also played in all of France’s World Cup matches in 2018, helping them to be crowned champions.
Benzema said: “You can’t confuse an F1 car with a go-kart and I’m being kind.” Read more
Messi confirms pay cut for Barcelona players, criticises board (Guardian)
Lionel Messi confirmed on Monday that Barcelona’s players will take a 70 per cent pay cut and make financial contributions to ensure the club’s other employees are paid in full during the state of alarm in Spain.
In a lengthy message posted on his Instagram account, Messi also took another swipe at the Barca board, led by president Josep Maria Bartomeu, whom he accused of undermining the players during recent negotiations.
Other Spanish clubs are expected to follow suit in applying temporary pay cuts, as football’s hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic leaves a number of them fighting for financial survival. Read more
Britain ‘laughed’ at Italy and ‘underestimated’ coronavirus -Ogbonna (DailyTrust)
Italy international Angelo Ogbonna thinks Britain “underestimated” the impact of the coronavirus, and says they “laughed” at his home country before being hit by the full force of the pandemic. West Ham defender Ogbonna is currently under lockdown in London with his family, with his wife expecting their second child. The former Juventus centre-back said he was struggling to keep his full fitness amid strict restrictions on movement in Britain, and said his current country of residence had reacted too slowly to the Covid-19 outbreak. Read more
Guardiola watching his weight without football (Guardian)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola joked he will come back “fatter” from a long layoff from football as he urged supporters to follow the advice of scientists and medical professionals on Monday.
Guardiola, who donated one million euros ($1.08 million) to help buy medical supplies for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in his native Spain last week, posted a video message as part of the English champions’ “Cityzens At Home” campaign to keep fans entertained.
Football in England has been suspended until at least April 30 as part of tight restrictions on personal freedoms to try and halt the spread of COVID-19. Read more
Juventus shares surge after players’ take pay cut (Punch)
Shares in Italian football giants Juventus surged Monday after the club’s decision to cut their players’ salaries in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Serie A champions announced on Saturday that they had cut their players’ and coach Maurizio Sarri’s salaries from March until June after all Italian sport was suspended.
The club’s shares rose by 7.94 percent on the Milan Stock Exchange early Monday in a market that has taken a major hit from the coronavirus crisis. Read more
Postponed Tokyo Olympics to open (Guardian)
The Tokyo Olympics will begin on July 23 next year, organisers said on Monday, after the coronavirus forced the historic decision to postpone the Games until 2021.
The announcement comes less than a week after the organisers were forced to delay the Games under heavy pressure from athletes and sports federations as the global outbreak worsened.
“The Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The Paralympics will be held from August 24 to September 5,” Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori told reporters at a hastily arranged evening news conference. Read more
Shehu Abdullahi urges Nigerians to unite against COVID-19 (DailyTrust)
Bursaspor full-back Shehu Abdullahi has urged people to unite in order to defeat the coronavirus. The pandemic which is currently causing problems across the world has claimed thousands of lives, paralysed major activities and affected the economy. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended a number of measures to reduce the spread of the virus, including regular hand washing, and keeping a social distance, among others. In Nigeria, the Federal government has banned large gatherings of more than 25 people and the public have been enjoined to stay at home if possible. Read more