COVID-19: Lagos shuts Eti-Osa Isolation Centre (Punch)
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State says the Eti-Osa Isolation Centre has been closed down, with effect from Friday night.
Sanwo-Olu announced the closure at Lagos House, Marina, during the 17th update on the management of coronavirus in the state.
The governor said the Agidingbi Isolation Centre would also be closed and the patients relocated to a large capacity centre – Indo-Centre in Anthony area, which would be soon be inaugurated.
“Over the last four, five months, we have built excess capacity centre, but that is only the way to go, you cannot over-prepare. Read more
School Resumption: Lagos govt rolls out guidelines (Vanguard)
As students in Senior Secondary School class three resume in Lagos on Monday, the Office of Education Quality Assurance has issued guidelines for re-opening of schools and urged owners to adhere to the guidelines, as reopening and assessment of schools will be simultaneously done.
The Director-General, Mrs Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, stated this while briefing newsmen in Ikeja, Lagos.
Seriki-Ayeni, who emphasized that school re-opening is centred on Senior Secondary School 3 students alone and not students in other classes, added that the released guidelines were in line with the Federal Government’s stance on the matter. Read more
Catholic sisters protest rising rape cases in Lagos (NewTelegraph)
Residents if Satellite Town, Lagos woke up to a rude shock when Religious Sisters of Charity, a religious order of Reverend Sisters in the Catholic Church, brought to their consciousness the reality of increasing cases of rape cases in the country.
The Sisters rose in condemnation of what the perceived as a criminal act against the female armed with placards as the protested through the streets of the metropolis.
The Reverend Sisters joined by some lay faithful noted that incidents of rape is on the increase in recent times around the country; and called on the government to institute laws that will curb the social vice. Read more
Police prevent suicidal man from lagoon dive (Nation)
Police operatives on patrol of the Third Mainland Bridge have stopped a 45-year-old man from committing suicide because of N500, 000 debts hanging on his neck.
Adeyinka Abiodun, a resident of Abaranje Road, Ikotun, was rescued by operatives of the Lagos Police Command on Friday afternoon while attempting to jump into the water.
According to spokesman, Bala Elkana, Abiodun, who was lured out of the mission, was taken to Bariga Police Station for questioning where he disclosed that a loan he got from a microfinance bank to upgrade his business failed. Read more
LASG increases public gatherings to 50 persons (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government on Saturday announced the increase of the permissible capacity of public gatherings from 20 to 50 persons.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced this at the Lagos House, Marina, during the 17th update on the management of coronavirus in the state.
Sanwo-Olu said that the increase applied to a wide range of events from Annual General Meetings (AGMs) to funerals.
He said that there had been a general decrease in positivity rates of COVID-19 cases in Lagos State over the past two weeks. Read more
COVID-19: Osun imposes N100,000 fine on worship centres (Punch)
Osun State Government has said hotels, bars, and clubs found to have flouted COVID-19 protocol in the state would be liable to N250, 000 fine.
Also, defaulting worship centres would be closed and fined N100,000, while private hospitals caught treating COVID-19 patients would be shut and the owners’ practicing licences withdrawn.
This was contained in a public service announcement titled, ‘COVID-19: Osun rolls out fines for defaulters,’ made available to The PUNCH on Sunday and signed by the Deputy Governor and chairman, COVID-19 Task Force in the state, Benedict Alabi. Read more
Reps set up 30-man c’mittee to accelerate passage of Petroleum Industry Bill (Vanguard)
The House of Representatives is set to pass the long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill into law, in September.
A thirty-member Committee, with five members drawn from each of the six geo-political zones of the country, is expected to start work on the Bill in the third week of this month, VANGUARD learnt on Friday.
The Minority Leader of the House, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu who spoke to the reporter on Friday, said the House would go ahead with the process of amending and passing the petroleum Industry Bill bill, even without the input of Executive. Read more
AbdulRazaq paying lip service to agriculture – Kwara farmers (Nation)
Farmers, in Kwara state under the aegis of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), have accused the State Government of paying lip service to agriculture.
The farmers specifically stated the administration of Governor
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq does not have any agenda for agriculture.
The criticism came less than two months after the state launched its tractorisation process.
The government, in early July, also started distribution of tractors to farmers at subsidised rates. Read more
School reopening: Parents protest N25,000 COVID-19 test in Ogun (Punch)
With schools reopening for graduating pupils this week after months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, parents of pupils in private secondary schools in Ogun State on Sunday kicked against the request of N25,000 COVID-19 test fee by the government.
Many of the parents, who took their demonstrations to the streets, faulted the decision of the government to ask them to pay N25,000 on each pupil before they could be allowed to resume.
The state government had said no boarding school pupil would be allowed to resume without a valid negative COVID-19 test certificate. Read more
Cure for baldness possible after molecule breakthrough, study claims (Metro)
A cure for baldness could be one step closer after scientists managed to reverse hair loss in mice. Researchers have discovered a special molecule which promotes hair growth and could be used in future drug treatments.
The breakthrough means new creams and lotions could now be manufactured instead of relying on costly transplants to fight baldness.
A US lab study looked at dermal papillae cells, which sit at the base of the hair follicles and support regrowth. Read more
Tropical Storm Isaias nears coronavirus-hit Florida (BBC)
Florida is preparing for Tropical Storm Isaias which is expected to hit the US state later on Sunday.
Isaias, the ninth named storm of 2020, was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm after battering the Turks & Caicos Islands and the Bahamas.
“Don’t be fooled by the downgrade,” Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents. State authorities have opened shelters and closed beaches and parks. Read more
Malawi President Introduces Award for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19 (VOA)
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has announced the introduction of special award for most dedicated health workers in the fight against COVID-19. Speaking during his weekly national address Saturday night, Chakwera said five health workers nominated by various medical associations will be receiving the award every three months for their dedication to work. But health workers say awarding only five people is not good enough.
Malawi continues to register an increase in the cases of COVID-19.
The coronavirus situation update report from the Presidential Taskforce Force on COVID-19 shows as of the Saturday evening, Malawi had 4,186 cases of COVID with 120 deaths. Read more
Coronavirus: Victoria declares state of disaster after spike in cases (BBC)
The Australian state of Victoria has declared a state of disaster and imposed new lockdown measures after a surge in coronavirus infections.
Under the new rules, which came into effect at 18:00 (08:00 GMT), residents of the state capital Melbourne are subject to a night-time curfew.
There will be further restrictions on residents’ ability to leave home.
Australia has been more successful than many other countries in tackling Covid-19, but cases are rising in Victoria. Read more
Rapper Noname accused of shading Beyonce’s Black Is King (Metro)
Rapper Noname appears to have thrown shade at Beyonce’s Black Is King, suggesting that the visual album is an ‘African aesthetic draped in capitalism’. Beyonce, 38, released Black Is King to Disney Plus last Friday as a celebration of Blackness and featuring songs from her Afro-centric album The Lion King: The Gift. The film boasts cameos from the likes of Naomi Campbell, Kelly Rowland and her daughter Blue Ivy, music videos for the songs Brown Skin Girl and Already, as well as a series of stunning eye-catching outfits. Read more
Tourist sites are empty as COVID-19 travel restrictions limit movement (France24)
With no American visitors to show around the D-Day beaches or the Loire Valley’s chateaux, and no work on the immediate horizon, Paris tour guide Linda Zenou frets about how she’ll pay off a loan and continue to care for her ailing mother in the achingly lean months ahead.
“My situation is going to become completely inextricable,” she said. “We have nothing to live on.”
For growing numbers of businesses and individuals who depend on the global tourism industry, the question is not so much when the coronavirus pandemic will end but how and if they’ll survive until business picks up. In trying to fend off the virus, countries that put up entry barriers to tourists have done so at a mounting cost to themselves and others. Read more
Amitabh Bachchan: Bollywood star recovers from Covid-19 (BBC)
One of India’s best known film stars, Amitabh Bachchan, has been discharged from hospital after being treated for Covid-19.
Last month the 77-year-old actor told his millions of Twitter followers that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
On Sunday, he said he had left hospital after testing negative.
He thanked his fans for their prayers, as well as staff at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai for their “excellent care”. Read more
Lewis Hamilton wins British Grand Prix after puncture on last lap (BBC)
Lewis Hamilton took an extraordinary victory in a dramatic finish to the British Grand Prix despite suffering a puncture on the last lap.
The Mercedes driver’s left-front tyre failed halfway around the last lap but he held on in front of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Verstappen would have won had he not stopped late for fresh tyres in a successful quest for the point for fastest lap.
Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas also punctured, two laps earlier, which dropped him out of the points. Read more
UFC star Joanne Calderwood taken to hospital after passing out backstage (Metro)
UFC star Joanne Calderwood was rushed to hospital after fainting backstage following her defeat to Jennifer Maia on Saturday night.
The Scottish fighter suffered heartbreak against Maia having decided to take on the flyweight in a short-notice bout rather than wait for champion Valentina Shevchenko to recover from injury.
Calderwood was booked to fight Shevchenko at UFC 251 this summer but the flyweight queen picked up a leg injury and the British contender decided to stay busy rather than sideline herself. Read more
COVID-19: Kyrgios pulls out of 2020 US Open (Punch)
An emotional Nick Kyrgios pulled out of the US Open Sunday, for “the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have lost their lives”, while pleading with players who attend to not be selfish and act responsibly.
His decision follows fellow Australian and world number one Ashleigh Barty last week withdrawing from the Grand Slam in New York, citing “significant risks” from the coronavirus pandemic.
“Dear Tennis, I will not be playing this year at the US Open. It hurts me at my core,” Kyrgios, who has consistently called out fellow competitors for not taking the virus seriously enough, said in a video posted on Twitter. Read more
FA CUP: Arteta grateful to Guardiola for ’best moment in career’ (Vanguard)
Mikel Arteta thanked Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola after Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final to give the head coach what he described as the best moment of his career.
Arteta left his position as City assistant in December after three years alongside Guardiola to take over from Unai Emery at Emirates Stadium.
The 38-year-old has enjoyed a successful first campaign at Arsenal, culminating in Saturday’s win at Wembley to take their record tally of triumphs in the famous competition to 14. Read more
NBA: Kyle Lowry leads Toronto Raptors to win over LA Lakers (BBC)
Kyle Lowry starred in the Toronto Raptors’ 107-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Orlando.
The 34-year-old finished with 33 points, 14 rebounds and six assists while London-born OG Anunoby contributed 23 points.
LeBron James led the Lakers’ charge with 20 points but could not prevent an 11th consecutive loss to the Raptors.
“Against a couple of great guys, we came in wanting to play well and we did a good job,” Lowry said. Read more
Ciro wins European Golden Boot ahead of Ronaldo (Nation)
Ciro Immobile was able to secure the European Golden Boot on Saturday without even having to play after Maurizio Sarri opted to leave Cristiano Ronaldo out of Juventus’ squad for the final match of the Serie A season.
This is the first time that the Lazio striker has won the award, which was held by Barcelona forward Lionel Messi after his 36 goals in the 2019/20 campaign.
Immobile has scored 35 goals in Serie A this season, four ahead of Cristiano, and he could now add to that tally when Lazio face Napoli on Saturday night. Read more