Lagos records another 1 COVID-19 related death, rises to 31 (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Ministry of Health, on Tuesday, announced another one COVID-19 related death, increasing the number of deaths in the state to 31.
The ministry disclosed this through its Twitter account.
It, however, did not give additional information about the age, sex, nationality and medical history of the deceased.
The ministry added that as of May 4, the state recorded 76 new cases of COVID-19 infection, increasing the number of confirmed cases in Lagos to 1,199. Read more
Lagos discharges 60 COVID-19 patients (Punch)
No fewer than 321 patients undergoing treatment for coronavirus at isolation facilities in Lagos State have been discharged.
This is after another batch of 60 patients were discharged on Tuesday.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu made this known via a series of tweets.
He said the discharged 60 COVID-19 patients include 40 males and 20 females.
He tweeted, “Today, we discharged 60 #COVID-19 Lagos patients; 40 males and 20 females, from our Yaba, Eti-Osa and Ibeju-Lekki isolation facilities to reunite with their families and society. Read more
Scare in Ogun as suspected COVID-19 patient dies in car (Nation)
Panic swept through Abeokuta, particularly residents and occupants of offices around Simeon Adebo Library, Kuto Annex station of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and others near the Kuto branch of the Guaranteed Trust Bank, Abeokuta, when a suspected COVID-19 patient that died was dropped at a point opposite one of the entrances to the bank.
The suspected patient, Alex, was a Beniose national and resident of Ijebu Ode died, Ogun State.
But his supposed friend and travel partner clutched his corpse to himself, seeking help in a video that has been trending. Read more
COVID-19: No face mask, no access, Osun Assembly warns populace (Vanguard)
Sequel to the relaxation of the lockdown imposed by the Osun State Government, the State House of Assembly said no members of the public would be allowed access into the Assembly complex without using a face mask.
It also made the use of face mask compulsory for workers of the House of Assembly.
The Speaker in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Alabi held that the use of simple cloth face coverings will slow the spread of coronavirus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting to others. Read more
Jigawa tests 600 repatriated Almajiri pupils for COVID-19 (Guardian)
Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa says samples of 600 Almajiri pupils repatriated to the state are being tested for Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Badaru said the 600 pupils were part of the over 1,000 Almajiri repatriated from Kano, Gombe, Nassarawa and Kaduna states.
He explained that all the repatriated pupils would be isolated for two-weeks and tested for the COVID-19 before being released to their respective communities. Read more
COVID-19: NDLEA officer tests positive in Benue (Punch)
An officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (name withheld), who recently returned from Kano State, has been confirmed as the second case of the novel coronavirus disease in Benue State.
The second case is coming about six weeks after the index case was confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, announced the new case at a news conference in the Government House, Makurdi on Tuesday.
The NCDC had announced that Benue recorded another case of coronavirus on Monday night. Read more
Over 70 people arraigned for violation of restriction order in Rivers (Nation)
Two magistrate courts sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital have sanctioned over 70 persons for violating Governor Nyesom Wike’s sit-at-home and border restriction orders in the state.
The suspected Northern indigenes were reportedly loaded in several heavy duty trucks heading for Zamfara state were arrested by members of the state task force on border restrictions.
They were arrested on May 1, 2020 and charged with one count charge bordering on violation of the Governor’s extant law on border restriction. Read more
House of Reps denies receiving $10 million for Infectious Disease Bill (Guardian)
Nigeria’s House of Representatives on Tuesday denied receiving $10 million from an external body to introduce and pass the Infectious Disease Bill.
House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila in a statement said the allegations as reported in some local media outlets were untrue.
The bill, Gbajabiamila said, “is still a proposal, subject to consideration, amendment and improvement has been assailed as a sinister attempt to turn Nigerians into guinea pigs for medical research while taking away their fundamental human right.” Read more
Coronavirus: Do not use untested remedies, WHO Africa warns (BBC)
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning against people using untested remedies for coronavirus.
Africans deserve access to medicines that have gone through proper trials even if they are derived from traditional treatments, it said.
Its statement comes as Madagascar’s president is promoting a herbal tonic for treating Covid-19 patients.
The African Union (AU) said it wanted to see the scientific data on the “safety and efficacy” of the product. Read more
UK now has highest coronavirus death rate in Europe (Metro)
The UK now has the highest coronavirus death rate in Europe, new data has revealed. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed more than 32,000 people in the UK have died with suspected Covid-19, which is more than Italy, previously Europe’s worst hit country. There were 29,710 Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales, as of April 24. Including deaths for Scotland and Northern Ireland, the toll now stands at 32,313. That is higher than Italy’s current count of 29,079, although its toll does not include suspected cases. Read more
The Met Gala ball is off – but stars dressed to impress anyway (BBC)
It’s usually one of the highlights of the fashion calendar.
But like most events, the annual Met Gala – which had been due to take place in New York on Monday – was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It normally sees stars like Lady GaGa, Billy Porter and Katy Perry gracing the red carpet in elaborate outfits. Read more
Antibody that stops coronavirus infecting living cells is found, giving hope in battle with Covid-19 (Metro)
A group of scientists have discovered an antibody that appears to prevent coronavirus from infecting human cells. The discovery is seen as a major breakthrough and could significantly help those developing treatments and vaccines against the killer virus. Professor Berend-Jan Bosch, co-lead author of the study, said the antibody – called 47D11 – targets the bug’s ‘spike protein’. It hooks onto a locking point on human cells to insert its genetic material, makes multiple copies of itself and spreads throughout the body. He said: ‘Such a neutralising antibody has potential to alter the course of infection in the infected host, support virus clearance or protect an uninfected individual that is exposed to the virus.’ Read more
Coronavirus: Hate crimes against Chinese people almost triple in UK during pandemic, police data shows (Independent)
Police have recorded a sharp increase in hate crimes against Chinese people during the coronavirus outbreak, figures show.
The number of offences reported in the first three months of 2020 has almost tripled compared to the same period for 2018 and 2019.
Between January and March, when the Covid-19 pandemic was intensifying within the UK, at least 267 reports of hate crime were made across the UK. Read more
How close are we to a COVID-19 vaccine? (VOA)
In the race for a vaccine to end the global COVID-19 pandemic, eight contenders are at the front of the pack.
These eight vaccine candidates are undergoing human testing in clinics in China, the United States, Britain and Germany. Behind them are at least 94 others in various stages of development.
The Trump administration is pushing to have hundreds of millions of doses of a vaccine available by the end of the year. Read more
Barcelona players to have Covid-19 tests before returning to training (BBC)
Barcelona players will be tested for Covid-19 at the club’s training ground on Wednesday before resuming individual work “in the coming days”.
La Liga teams have been given permission to return to training this week following the easing of some restrictions by the government.
Barca say the league “gave the go-ahead” for testing after inspecting the facilities at their training ground.
La Liga organisers are aiming for a June restart to the season. Read more
Mike Tyson’s right hook ‘could still kill somebody’, claims his new trainer (Metro)
Mike Tyson still has ferocious punching power and possesses the same speed as a 21-year-old boxer, according to his new trainer Rafael Cordeiro.
Last week, Tyson posted a clip of himself in training and the former undisputed world heavyweight champion looked in superb shape as he put together a blistering combination on the pads.
Tyson has revealed that he plans to return to boxing and wants to take part in four-round exhibition fights to raise money for charity. Read more
Premier League: Under 45-minute halves an option, says PFA chief Gordon Taylor (BBC)
Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor has suggested halves of less than 45 minutes could be considered when football resumes.
Discussions about the Premier League’s return are ongoing but Taylor says players are “concerned” about safety.
“They are not stupid,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “They would have to be satisfied that it is safe.”
The Premier League said the idea is “not on the table”. Read more
Former Chelsea star Saloman Kalou suspended for singing song mocking coronavirus (Metro)
Saloman Kalou has been suspended by Hertha Berlin for flouting social distancing rules and singing a song in which he appeared to mock COVID-19. Footage of the former Chelsea forward fist bumping his teammates and complaining about having to take a pay cut emerged on Monday, while the 34-year-old also sung a song poking fun at a disease which has accounted for the lives of over a quarter of a million people worldwide. The Bundesliga is aiming to restart imminently, albeit with strict guidelines in place, but Kalou will play no part having been banned from matches and training for the foreseeable future. Read more
Clubs facing £200m financial hole by September, EFL warns (Independent)
English Football League chairman Rick Parry has warned his clubs face a £200m financial hole by September.
Parry had been called to give evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee on Tuesday about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on sport, and he highlighted the particular difficulties facing the 71 clubs in his competition.
Asked in a worst-case scenario how many clubs might go out of business, Parry said: “That’s a difficult one to answer. We are heading for a financial hole of about £200m by the end of September, cash hole, that we will need to fill. Clubs are stacking up creditors as well. Read more
Man United make shock U-turn on director of football decision (Vanguard)
Man United ‘no longer want’ to appoint a director of football despite links with a number of potential targets, according to reports.
Manchester United were reportedly hoping to appoint their first-ever director of football before the end of last season – although it is yet to be seen what they would want from the person in the role.
Names such as Paul Mitchell of RB Leipzig, Ajax’s Edwin van der Sar and Atletico Madrid sporting director Berta have been bandied about over the last year or so but Man Utd have yet to make an appointment. Read more