COVID-19: Police extend enforcement to markets, shopping malls, others (Guardian)
The Lagos State Police Command yesterday appealed to hoteliers to render only lodging/accommodation services and ensure they have a fewer number of workers on duty for now. The command also banned all swimming pools, conferences and events as well as any other service that could attract a crowd to hotels, urging hoteliers to comply with the directives of the state government aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The command added that, in the last six days, it had deployed its personnel across the state to ensure that the guidelines and directives issued by both the federal and state governments to prevent the spread of coronavirus are fully obeyed. In effect, the enforcement team has shut down eight clubs, 15 schools, six event centres and eight places of worship for non-compliance. Read more
Coronavirus: Lagos State not on total lockdown – Commissioner (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Government says it did not give directive on a total lockdown of the state, as it applies measures to curb the spread of Coronavirus disease.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said in a statement on Wednesday that the attention of the government had been drawn to news reports that Lagos was on lockdown.
This is following Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s update on the steps taken to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
Omotoso said that the impression created by such reports was erroneous, saying Lagos was not on lockdown, in spite of the stringent measures introduced by the government. Read more
Four, vessel charged with oil theft in Lagos (Nation)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday charged four individuals and a vessel with petroleum theft at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The defendants are: Robert Agbenyo, Fulani Macaulay, Nwafor Joshua, William Kelvin and a ship, MV Ella.
They were arraigned before Justice Sule Hassan on a four-count charge of conspiracy, illegal dealing in 100 metric tonnes of petroleum products without licence and dealing in inferior products.
EFCC counsel U. U. Buhari and A. O. Muhammed told the judge that the defendants conspired and committed the offences on December 27, 2019. Read more
YABATECH holds public lecture…as former HoS warns on climate change (Vanguard)
The Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, has held the fourth edition of its Research and Public Lecture series with the former Head of Service of the Federation, HoS, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, warning the country on the dire effects of climate change on the economy and sustainability.
Afolabi, who spoke on the topic: Is climate change real in Nigeria? opined that it would be good for the country’s leaders to put on their thinking caps and halt the gradual, but steady taking over of the nation’s landmass by drought and other negative fallouts of climate change. Read more
Lagos Assembly may lift lawmakers’suspension (Nation)
Lagos State House of Assembly may lift the indefinite suspension slammed on two lawmakers – Lanre Oshun (Mainland Constituency) and Raheem Olawale (Ibeju-Lekki), it has been learnt.
The lawmakers were suspended by the Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, two weeks ago.
Obasa and the aggrieved lawmakers belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC), whose leadership was not consulted by the Speaker before the suspension.
At a meeting of the Lagos State APC Governors’ Advisory Committee (GAC) with the Speaker and lawmakers, the party advised Obasa to lift the suspension in the interest of peace and harmony. Read more
Service delivery: LASG set to promote 4,942 post-primary school teachers (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Government has concluded plans to promote 4,942 post-primary school teachers as part of efforts geared towards achieving the progression of teachers as a means of rewarding excellence in service delivery.
Speaking on the conduct of the promotion exercise, the Chairman, Teaching Service Commission, Mrs. Olabisi Ariyo, said the exercise had been scheduled to commence with a Structured Training Programme, STP, which would entail both the generic and professional programmes for all categories of eligible officers between grade levels 06 -17 and would be handled by the Teaching Service Staff Development Centre, TSSDC, Owutu, Ikorodu, at four designated centres across the state. Read more
London party: Attendees go into isolation as two guests die (Punch)
The number of people suffering from COVID-19 in the country rose to 51 on Wednesday from 18 on Thursday last week.
The National Centre for Disease Control, on its twitter page on Wednesday morning said, “Two new cases of #COVID19 have been confirmed in Nigeria: One in Lagos and One in Osun. Both cases are returning travellers to Nigeria in the last 7 days. As of 7am 25th March, there are 46 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria. Two have been discharged with one death.”
At 11:25pm, it said the cases had increased to 51. “Five new cases of #COVID19 have been confirmed in Nigeria: Two in the Federal Capital Territory, two in Lagos and one in Rivers State. Three are returning travellers into Nigeria and two are close contacts of a confirmed case. As of 11:25pm, 25th March, there are 51 confirmed cases, two discharged, one death,” it stated in its twitter handle. Read more
COVID-19: Nigeria now records 51 cases (Tribune)
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed that cases of COVID-19 in the country have hit 51, as at 11.25pm on Wednesday.
The NCDC on its website said, “On the 25th March 25, 2020, six new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Nigeria.
“Till date, 51 cases have been confirmed, two cases have been discharged and one death from COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria
“Of the new six cases reported on March 25, three are in Lagos State, one is in Osun State, one in Rivers State, and one is in FCT. All new cases have mild to moderate symptoms and are currently receiving care.” Read more
Okada union goes after ban-defaulting riders in Ogun (DailyTrust)
The Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycles Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), Ogun State chapter, says it has set up a task force to arrest its members who violate the state government’s directives on coronavirus and hand them over to the police. The chapter’s Chairman, Kayode Showunmi, disclosed this yesterday while distributing free face masks and hand gloves to commercial motorcyclists in Abeokuta, the state capital. The state government had on Monday ordered motorcycle riders not to carry more than one passenger and also ensure they use face masks and hand gloves always. Showunmi explained that the association would continue to educate its members on the dangers associated with the virus, saying it was important they heed the advice. Read more
Military airlifts medical supplies, detection kits from China (Punch)
The Nigerian Air Force on Tuesday airlifted from Lagos to Abuja a consignment of medical donation to Nigeria by China’s Jack Ma Foundation to fight the spread of coronavirus in the country.
The donations were on Tuesday brought into the cargo area of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, by an Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane in 107 boxes.
They were surgical masks, medical disposable protective clothing, face shields and detection kits, weighing about 3,000 pounds.
In a statement, the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said the supplies were airlifted from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and handed to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Alhaji Abdulazeez Abdullahi, in Abuja. Read more
Nurse with coronavirus kills herself over fear of infecting others (NYPost)
A 34-year-old Italian nurse working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic took her own life after testing positive for the illness and was terrified that she had infected others, according to a report.
Daniela Trezzi had been suffering “heavy stress” amid fears she was spreading the deadly bug while treating patients at the San Gerardo Hospital in Monza in the hard-hit region of Lombardy, the Daily Mail reported.
She was working in the intensive care unit while under quarantine after being diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the UK news site. Read more
US records more than 10,000 coronavirus cases in a day (BBC)
The number of cases in the US has jumped by 10,000 – bringing the total number of cases in the country to 54,453.
According to the US CDC, the death toll also rose by 193 cases, bringing it to 737.
The state of New York has more than half of the country’s overall cases – with more than 30,800 patients. Read more
NYC sees 81 coronavirus deaths in one day (NYPost)
The city on Wednesday night reported 81 additional coronavirus fatalities, raising the death toll to 280, city officials said.
The number of cases in the Big Apple also soared over the course of eight hours on Wednesday, from 17,856 to 20,011, City Hall said.
Queens recorded the most cases, as of 6 p.m., with at least 6,420. In Brooklyn, there are 5,232; Manhattan reported 3,616, The Bronx has 3,542 and in Staten Island, there are 1,166.
The increase in cases came as Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday night warned that half of the city’s population — more than 4 million people — will get the coronavirus. Read more
Christchurch shootings: Brenton Tarrant pleads guilty to 51 murders (BBC)
A man accused of deadly attacks on mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch a year ago has pleaded guilty to 51 charges of murder.
Brenton Tarrant, 29, also admitted the attempted murder of another 40 people, and one terrorism charge.
He had previously denied the charges and was due to go on trial in June.
The gun attacks at two mosques sent shockwaves around the world. In the wake of the killings, New Zealand brought in stricter gun laws. Read more
Robert Levinson: US hostage has died in Iran, says family (BBC)
Former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran 13 years ago, has died in custody there, according to statement from his family.
“It is impossible to describe our pain,” the family said, adding that his death appeared to have occurred before the coronavirus pandemic.
Levinson, the longest-held hostage in US history, disappeared in 2007 on the Iranian island of Kish. Read more
Bill Cosby seeking early release from prison due to coronavirus pandemic (Metro)
Bill Cosby is reportedly seeking early release from prison due to the coronavirus pandemic, despite him ‘feeling fine’. He was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison back in 2018, after being found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. His lawyers are considering filing a motion asking for him to be placed under house arrest for the remainder of his sentence. His publicist Andrew Wyatt told Deadline that nothing has yet been filed but they are ‘exploring all legal actions’. Read the latest updates: Coronavirus news live. Read more
Kylie Jenner donates $1M to help fight coronavirus pandemic (PageSix)
Kylie Jenner continues to do her part during the coronavirus pandemic.
The 22-year-old billionaire has donated $1 million dollars to help in the fight against the deadly virus sweeping the globe.
The money, which she donated to her OB-GYN, will help fund the cost of hundreds of thousands of masks, face shields, and other protective gear.
“I am speechless, my eyes are filled with tears of joy and my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude,” Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi posted to Instagram on Wednesday. Read more
MacBook Air (2020) review: the best MacBook for the most people (Metro)
The MacBook Air has been the poster child for Apple’s laptop line-up ever since Steve Jobs pulled it out of a manilla envelope live on stage. It’s not the only computer the company makes, but Apple acknowledges it’s the most popular. The reason for that is simple, the MacBook Air blends price, performance and portability into a single package. It’s thin and light enough to carry around all day, powerful enough to run the majority of tasks users demand and unlike some of Apple’s other gear, it doesn’t cost the Earth. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi donate to hospitals in fight against coronavirus (CNN)
Footballers from around the world are joining together to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each reportedly giving €1 million ($1.1 million) to the cause.
Clinic Barcelona confirmed on Tuesday that it had received a donation from the Argentine, which will go towards both treating infected patients and researching COVID-19.
“Thank you very much Leo, for your commitment and your support,” the hospital said.
Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported that half of the €1 million will go to Clinic Barcelona and the other half to a medical center in Messi’s native Argentina. Read more
Paris 2020 organisers remain hopeful European Championships will take place (BBC)
The organisers of the 2020 European Athletics Championships remain hopeful the event will take place in Paris in August.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the Olympic Games in Tokyo, scheduled for this summer, would be pushed back 12 months until July 2021.
“To have the light at the end of the tunnel that Paris 2020 may still go ahead is something positive in these extremely hard times,” said Periklis Iakovakis, chairman of the athletes committee. Read more
The ‘Lost Games:’ When the Olympics are stopped by extraordinary world events (CNN)
It was meant to be the first Games to be held beyond Europe and North America, a spectacle to showcase to the world that Tokyo had overcome the earthquake that had devastated the city some years earlier. But the 1940 Olympics was the Games that never was.
No one aged under 80 had ever lived through a time when the Olympics was postponed or canceled until Tuesday’s announcement that Tokyo 2020, originally scheduled to start this July, will now be held next year.
As a pandemic takes hold of the world and the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 organizers grapple with the complicated logistics involved in holding the greatest show on earth later than planned, a look at the past throws up some uncanny similarities between now and what has been described by some as the Lost Games of 1940.
At a Christmas party in Tokyo, on the right is a large cake with the inscription 1940 XII Olympiad Tokyo to celebrate the upcoming Olympics in Japan.
At a Christmas party in Tokyo, on the right is a large cake with the inscription 1940 XII Olympiad Tokyo to celebrate the upcoming Olympics in Japan.
Glory on the world stage. Read more
Roger Federer donates £857,000 to ‘most vulnerable’ Swiss families amid coronavirus crisis (Metro)
Roger Federer and his wife Mirka have donated one million Swiss Francs (£857,000) to the ‘most vulnerable families in Switzerland’, insisting that ‘nobody should be left behind’. Tennis superstar Federer, who is currently recovering from knee surgery, hopes that others will follow their lead to ‘overcome this crisis’ by pledging financial support. ‘These are challenging times for everyone and nobody should be left behind,’ the 20-time Grand Slam champion said. ‘Mirka and I have personally decided to donate one million Swiss Francs for the most vulnerable families in Switzerland. Read the latest updates: Coronavirus news live. Read more
Wimbledon 2020: All England Club to make decision on event next week (BBC)
The All England Club says a decision regarding this year’s Wimbledon will be made next week.
In a statement on Wednesday, the club said postponement and cancellation of the event, scheduled between 29 June-12 July, because of the impact of coronavirus were possible outcomes.
Playing behind closed doors has been formally ruled out.
Earlier this month, the French Open, due to have begun in May, was rescheduled to 20 September-4 October. Read more
Manchester United ready to strip Alexis Sanchez of no.7 shirt to give to Jadon Sancho (Metro)
Manchester United are ready to offer Jadon Sancho the coveted number seven shirt at Old Trafford in a bid to persuade the England star to join the club. The Red Devils are leading the race to sign the former Manchester City winger and are willing to break their club transfer record in order to sign him. United believed they were close to a deal at the end of last season but their collapse in the final weeks of the campaign meant they failed to qualify for the Champions League and that ended their hopes. However, United have renewed hope this summer and the Evening Standard claim the number seven shirt will be offered to Sancho in a bid to convince him to move to the Theatre of Dreams. Read more
Anthony Joshua goes into isolation after meeting Prince Charles (DailyTrust)
World heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, has placed himself in self-isolation following a meeting with Prince Charles, who tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. Charles, the eldest son, and heir to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, is showing mild symptoms of coronavirus and is self-isolating in Scotland, officials said on Wednesday. It remains unclear when Charles caught the illness but on March 9, he spent the day with the Queen, prime minister Boris Johnson and stars of sport and entertainment – including Joshua – at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. Read more
