Don’t resume, stay at home, Sanwo-Olu orders Lagos civil servants (Vanguard)
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has ordered all civil servants in the state to stay away from work on Monday, May 4.
Governor Sawo-Olu, in a statement on Sunday, asked all civil servants in the state not to resume work, noting that the delayed resumption is a deliberate attempt to prevent overcrowding in the state.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had imposed a total lockdown on Lagos, Ogun and the FCT, which terminates today, Sunday, May 3, with the gradual easing starting tomorrow, Monday, May 4. Read more
Doctors who treated Lagos COVID-19 victim working without isolation (Punch)
No fewer than 11 health workers, including four doctors and three nurses at the Randle General Hospital, Surulere, Lagos State, have been tested for the COVID-19 infection after having contact with a dead patient.
The PUNCH had exclusively reported that a 65-year-old woman, identified as Iyabo, was admitted to the hospital last Sunday.
The petty trader, who also had diabetes, was said to have been treated before some doctors insisted that she be tested for the coronavirus. Read more
250 young tailors volunteer to give out one million face masks (Guardian)
In a bid to deliver one million home-made face masks to the most vulnerable communities in Nigeria before the end of May and a four-month target of a total of 50 million face masks by the end of August, a group of Nigerian youths, which has 250 young tailors as volunteers, have teamed up to launch a campaign tagged Mask4All.
The project manager, Joshua Adeloye, said that the project started with the 250 volunteers delivering 1,000 facemasks weekly long before the Lagos State government made it mandatory for citizens to wear one when going out. Read more
Lagos hazard allowance good gesture, gross underpayment – NMA (Vanguard)
Medical Association, NMA, Dr Francis Faduyile has described the newly approved N20, 000 hazard allowance increment as gross underpayment in view of risks involved in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Faduyile, in a chat, said although the development is a good gesture, it does not meet the required hazard allowance for medical doctors and other health workers in the frontline of the COVID-19 containment efforts. Read more
Use COVID-19 to crash interest rates, Tinubu charges CBN (Sun)
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to leverage the coronavirus(COVID-19) pandemic to lower interest rates in the country.
The former Lagos State Governor, who stated this in a position paper entitled, The Case Against High Interest Rate in Time of Contagion, said “high interest rates are a fundamental drag on national economic growth while lower rates will spur domestic investment and production. This creates both jobs and wealth. High rates serve only to suppress these vital factors. Lower rates will have some negative short-term impact on inflation and the exchange rate. Read more
COVID-19: CBN, Bankers’ committee suspend retrenchment of banks’ staff (Vanguard)
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bankers’ Committee on Sunday suspended retrenchment or laying-off of any staff of banks, whether full or part-time.
The CBN Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr. Isaac Okorafor made this known in a statement in Abuja.
Okorafor explained that the decision was taken to minimise and mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families and livelihoods. Read more
Kaduna to prosecute anyone concealing COVID-19 case (Guardian)
Kaduna State Government has warned that anyone who conceals a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positive status will be prosecuted. It has, however, traced up to 95 per cent of contacts and discovered 28 active cases.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Mohammed-Baloni, stated yesterday that one of the two isolated males who were receiving treatment had died.
She said, “He was a retired civil servant, male, with underlying medical conditions, who concealed his recent travel to Kano when he visited a public hospital and a private hospital. Read more
Nigerians will emerge stronger after COVID-19, says Osinbajo (Punch)
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has lauded the resilience of Nigerians, saying the country and its people will emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger.
According to a statement by Osinbajo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, the Vice-President spoke at the 2020 edition of The Platform, themed ‘Nigeria’s battle against COVID-19’ on Saturday.
The annual event of the Covenant Christian Centre that features discussions around the states of the country and its development was held by videoconference. Read more
This six-year-old boy set up a joke stand to give neighbours a laugh during quarantine (CNN)
Six-year-old Callaghan McLaughlin has a new routine. Every day, he wakes up early, eats breakfast, gets his schoolwork done — and then sets up his joke stand outside.
His goal: To spread joy and laughter to his neighbours, without violating any social distancing rules.
“I know about 13 or 14 jokes,” Callaghan, who is from Saanich, British Columbia, told CNN.
Usually, Callaghan operates a lemonade stand around this time of year — but because of the pandemic, his mum chose a safer alternative. Read more
Covid-19: In Cameroon, chloroquine therapy hailed by French expert becomes state protocol (France24)
While debate rages in France over Professor Didier Raoult’s recommendation of a mixture of chloroquine (an antimalarial) and azithromycin (an antibiotic) to treat patients with Covid-19, some African countries have taken it very seriously. Such is the case in Cameroon, which has embraced the French professor’s method of treatment.
Despite having authorised treatment in a very restricted manner for serious cases, France has shown scepticism regarding a dual therapy combining chloroquine (an antimalarial), or its derivative hydroxychloroquine, and azithromycin (an antibiotic used for lung and ENT infections and angina) to treat patients suffering from Covid-19. Read more
Researchers studying power of prayer in coronavirus patients (NYPost)
Can you pray the coronavirus away?
A new scientific study is examining the power of prayer in those fighting for their lives from COVID-19 — testing for “true supernatural intervention,” according to a report.
The Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute is testing 1,000 patients in intensive care with the contagion — with half getting a “universal” prayer offered in five denominational forms.
The four-month study will then compare death rates as well as time in ICU and on ventilators. Read more
Camera-shy US Supreme Court forced by COVID-19 to embrace new technology (VOA)
The United States Supreme Court will make history Monday.
Not, this time, with an epoch-making ruling but with its embrace of heretofore shunned technology and transparency.
For the first time in its 231-year history, the high court’s famously camera-shy and tech-averse justices will conduct — and livestream — oral arguments by teleconference, the first of 10 cases scheduled in this fashion for May due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more
Coronavirus: Tanzanian president promises to import Madagascar’s ‘cure’ (BBC)
The president of Tanzania, John Magufuli, is sending a plane to Madagascar to fetch a herbal tonic touted as a cure for Covid-19 even as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned there was no proof of any cure.
Congo-Brazzaville’s president has also promised to import the drink.
It is produced from the artemisia plant – the source of an ingredient used in a malaria treatment. Read more
Carer goes straight back to frontline just weeks after surviving coronavirus (Metro)
A carer who feared she was going to die while in ‘agony’ with Covid-19 has gone back to the frontline just weeks after recovering. Mum-of-two Nichola Jack, 48, started having an epileptic seizure while at work in a private care home on April 2. After being rushed to hospital, medics confirmed that she had tested positive but had strong enough oxygen levels to isolate at home in Sandbach, Cheshire. She spent the next seven days in ‘hell’ being unable to eat, sleep or go to the toilet because she was in ‘excruciating pain from head to toe’. Read more
Sir Cameron Mackintosh: ‘Theatres could be closed until next year’ (BBC)
Theatre producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh has said that West End and Broadway theatres are unlikely to be able to stage musicals until early next year.
Speaking to Michael Ball on BBC Radio 2, Sir Cameron said it’s impossible for theatres to plan for the future while social distancing is in place.
“We want the audience to feel safe, and we want the actors to feel safe.”
Theatres in many countries have been closed indefinitely in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more
COVID-19 fund raising: Ikeme to auction last Super Eagles shirt (Sun)
Nigeria’s retired goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme has decided to raffle his shirt from the final game with the national team in a bid to help donate to motherless homes and the less privileged in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Ikeme revealed this on his Twitter handle as the post read: “Hi everyone, with the lockdown affecting everyone around the world in different ways. I have decided to raffle my shirt from my final game for @NGSuperEagles the WCQ V Zambia. It’s £10 a ticket with multiple donations having more names in the hat!
“The money raised will help buy food and other vital supplies needed in Nigeria to different motherless children and baby homes will be benefiting from money raised along with others in need. Thank u! I know it’s a tough time, even if it’s just a retweet to raise awareness”. Read more
Stan Okoye targets Olympics, 2022 Afrobasket glory (Guardian)
As one of the senior members of the current D’Tigers squad, Spain-based Stanley Okoye has set his target at a possible podium finish at next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
The member of the 2015 team that won Nigeria’s first ever Afrobasket title in Tunisia said with the current talents in the team, being one of the best teams in the world is achievable.
He revealed that the current group of players in the team are determined to take Nigerian basketball to where it truly deserves.
“For us, we have always talked about it. We want a medal. We have to look forward to the Olympics. We want to stay on the podium.” Read more
Cole Anthony’s trainer tries to quell doubts about polarizing NBA Draft prospect (NYPost)
Chris Brickley, Cole Anthony’s trainer since he was 16, was delighted by the point guard’s quarantine request.
The Manhattan product asked Brickley if they could scour tape of his underachieving freshman season at North Carolina via Zoom.
It was a perfect learning tool during the coronavirus pandemic preventing them from live training. Read more
Serie A: Too early to talk about league restart, says Italian sports minister (BBC)
It’s too early to even talk about the Italian football season restarting, according to sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora.
Serie A clubs have been given permission to restart individual training sessions from Monday at training grounds.
But team training will not be allowed until 18 May at the earliest. The league was suspended on 9 March. Read more
John Terry reveals what he messaged team-mates after Chelsea appointed Jose Mourinho (Metro)
Former Chelsea captain John Terry admits he was ‘petrified’ when the Blues appointed Jose Mourinho in 2004. The Portuguese boss arrived at Stamford Bridge on the back of making Porto Champions League winners, just 12 months after he guided the club to UEFA Cup success against Celtic in Seville. With Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger dominating the Premier League, Mourinho cut a fresh-looking figure and he announced himself to the British press by proclaiming that he was the ‘Special One’ in his first press conference as Chelsea boss. Read more
CAF celebrates AFCON legends Keshi, El Gohary (Punch)
The Confederation of African Football on Sunday celebrated Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi and Egypt’s Mahmoud El Gohary, the only men who won the Africa Cup of Nations title as player and coach.
Incidentally, both are now deceased.
In a statement on on its website, CAF online, the continental body hailed both men for their contributions to football development in Africa.
EgyptianEl Gohary won the second edition of AFCON in 1959 as a player, before guiding the Pharaohs to their fourth title in 1998 as a coach. Read more