LUTH delivers 68-year-old woman of twins (Nation)
The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, says it has successfully delivered a 68-year-old woman of a set of twins, following an IVF conception.
Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, Chairman, LUTH Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that the woman was pregnant for the first time.
Adeyemo said that she was delivered on April 14 through an elective Caesarean section, at 37 weeks gestation.
He said that the IVF and embryo transfer were done at a facility outside LUTH. Read more
Social distancing compulsory at burial of COVID-19 death – LASG (Guardian)
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, says the burial protocol of any COVID-19 related death is to ensure social distancing of people at the funeral.
Abayomi, during the COVID-19 update on Sunday in Lagos, said that attendance must not exceed 25 people at such burial, including family members, clergy, gravediggers and pallbearers.
According to him, there is no policy banning the release of the corpse of COVID-19 patient to the family.
He said that the protocol was to decontaminate the body before handing it over to the family. Read more
Full List: Lagos COVID-19 test centres in 20 LGs (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has announced coronavirus test centres in the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.
The government disclosed this on Sunday via its Twitter handle, noting that visits to the centres is “strictly” by appointment and not by emergency.
Residents were asked to make requests through app.alertclinic.com and schedule appointments at the test centre closest to them.
The PUNCH reports that of the over 500 infections reported in Nigeria, 309 cases, 94 recoveries and 14 fatalities have been recorded in the nation’s economic capital. Read more
COVID-19: Benue releases results of 27 suspected cases (DailyTrust)
The Benue State Action Committee on COVID-19 on Sunday disclosed that results from a total of 27 samples collected so far for testing in the course of its surveillance against the disease in the state have all turned negative except the index case. Our correspondent reports that the index case had been long transferred to Abuja following the request made by the Federal Ministry of Health to handle the matter. Commissioner for Health & Human Services/Secretary of the COVID-19 Committee, Dr. Sunday Ongbabo, made the disclosure in Makurdi while giving an update of his team’s responses to people suspected to have the disease. Read more
Churches deserted as Kano lockdown enters Day 3 (Guardian)
In compliance with the total lockdown against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, churches in Kano remain under lock on Sunday.
Our correspondent, who went around the city to observe the level of compliance, reported total lockdown at Calvary Church of God at Nomansland, Our Lady of Fatima and Baptist Church both on France road, The Redeemed Christian Church of God and ECWA Church on Airport Road.
A principal Pastor at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Michael Adefemi Adebola affirmed the Church’s total compliance with government total lockdown order in the wake of the deadly and ravaging COVID-19. Read more
Abba Kyari’s funeral: There is nothing wrong if we’re barred from Aso Villa – Garba Shehu (Vanguard)
The senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has reacted to the story making the rounds that he and all those who attended the burial ceremony of the late chief of staff to the President, Abba Kyari, were asked to stay clear of Aso Rock.
Late Abba Kyari was confirmed positive for coronavirus, after visiting Germany on March 7 in company of the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, and other officials of Siemens AG in pursuit of the deal Nigeria signed with the German energy company towards improving electricity supply in the country.
Died in April 17, 2020, Abba Kyari was buried at Gudu Cemetery Abuja after serving his country as the Chief of Staff to the President for five years (2015 to 2020). Read more
COVID-19: Shun foreign trips after lockdown – Adeboye (Punch)
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has advised Nigerians and Africans to suspend trips abroad after the coronavirus lockdown has been lifted.
The septuagenarian preacher said the return journey to normalcy had begun, appealing to everyone to continue to maintain high hygiene practices, during and after the lockdown period.
In his sermon on Sunday broadcast via the church’s Channel, DOVE TV, Adeboye urged Nigerians and Africans to steer clear of Europe, the Americas, Asia and other places outside the African continent till everything is safe again. Read more
Many killed as bandits attack Katsina villages (Metro)
Many residents of several villages in Danmusa, Dutsinma and Safana local government areas of Katsina State were killed while many others were injured in massive and multiple attacks by bandits on Saturday morning. The attack also led to the massive relocation of residents. No fewer than 36 people were reported dead by locals with many injured and property worth millions of naira destroyed. Many people were reported missing. The attack which started at about 3am at Kuraichi village spread to 10 other villages across the three local government areas by 10am. Read more
I never thought Kyari’s case’ll come to a tragic end-IBB (Vanguard)
Former Military President, retired General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has said that he prayed for late Abba Kyari to recover from COVID-19 and never envisaged his case would come to tragic end.
He said in a statement on Sunday, that the erstwhile chief of Staff of President Buhari was an exemplary student in Ivy League universities, whose dedication in office was excellent.
In the statement he personally sighed, Babangida said ” I woke up this morning to receive the sad news that Mallam Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammad Buhari is dead due to COVID-19 complications.” Read more
Mum who had 10 kids in 10 years wants more children (Metro)
Mum-of-10 Courtney Rogers has not been without a bump for more than nine months since getting married to husband Chris Rogers, 32, in 2008. The couple, who have six boys and four girls aged between nine months and 10 years, also homeschool their brood. They live on a 12-acre plot in Santa Fe county, New Mexico, and drive a 15-seater van. Their monthly food bills are $1,200 (£975) and in January they went on an economy drive – cutting out all eating out and fun purchases, as it was costing them well over $1,000 (£812) a month. Read more
Spain to allow children outside after six weeks (BBC)
Spanish children have been kept at home since 14 March, under strict measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Now Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez aims to relax the rule on 27 April so they can “get some fresh air”.
Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, who has young children herself, this week pleaded with the government to allow children outside.
Spain has seen more than 20,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic and almost 200,000 reported cases. Read more
US presidential race: Is Joe Biden’s ideal running mate a woman? (France24)
It’s almost three and a half years after Hillary Clinton lost the presidential race to Donald Trump. The day after the inauguration on January 20, 2017, millions of women and men participated in Women’s Marches worldwide to protest the president’s degrading comments about women during his campaign, and his anti-abortion stance. Clinton had been the first woman to be a major party candidate for the US presidency.
At one point in the crowded Democratic field for this year’s nomination, Biden shared the debate stage with four candidates who are women, all US senators: New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand, California’s Kamala Harris, Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar and Massachusetts’s Elizabeth Warren, the last of the four to exit the race and to endorse her former rival and the presumptive Democratic nominee. Read more
Mnuchin says ‘we are very close to a deal today’ on small business package (CNN)
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he’s hopeful that an agreement with Democratic congressional leaders could be reached Sunday on a small business package stalled in Congress.
“I think we’re very close to a deal today. I’m hopeful that we can get that done,” Mnuchin told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”
The funding is needed to continue a program for small businesses affected by the coronavirus crisis that ran out of funding last week. Read more
Men’s testicles ‘could make them more vulnerable to coronavirus’ (Metro)
Coronavirus could linger in men’s testicles explaining why men are more likely to be severely affected than women, a study has suggested. The virus bonds with proteins in the body that are found in the lungs, intestine and heart – and also the testicles. It binds with cells that express the ACE2 protein, or angiotensin converting enzyme 2.
This protein is less prevalent in ovarian tissue, which could mean the virus has an extra place to harbour in men. Study authors said their observations showed men took longer to clear the virus from their systems. Read more
Paris mayor promises public hand gel dispensers, other measures when lockdown ends (France24)
Paris’ bus stops and metro entrances will be equipped with hand gel dispensers and commuters will likely be obliged to wear face masks to use public transport once coronavirus confinement measures are lifted, according to the city’s mayor.
France is due to start exiting its strict lockdown from May 11, with schools set to reopen then, but the government has yet to spell out when businesses like cafes and cinemas can restart and to what extent people will be allowed to move around.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told the Journal Du Dimanche (JDD) newspaper in an interview published on Sunday that hand gel would be made widely available as the French capital tries to keep the virus spread under control. Read more
Coronavirus: New York couples can now tie the knot over Zoom (BBC)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed an order allowing online marriages, as many weddings are cancelled under lockdown restrictions.
From now on, people in the US state will be able to apply for marriage licences remotely and clerks allowed to conduct ceremonies virtually.
Mr Cuomo joked that the decision meant there was now “no excuse” for couples not to tie the knot.
“You can do it by Zoom. Yes or no?” he said in his briefing on Saturday. Read more
US states weigh easing stay-at-home restrictions (CNN)
For many, hearing officials discuss reopening the country comes as a relief. It means there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, that after weeks of staying home, the world will eventually return to normal — even if “normal” looks a little different than it used to.
States have begun unveiling plans to reopen but whether it's safe to do so is still unclear
States have begun unveiling plans to reopen but whether it’s safe to do so is still unclear
But there are both risks and benefits to having these discussions now, especially when there is so much left to be done: A vaccine is a long way off. Testing is still not where it needs to be. Read more
Coronavirus: Chinese Super League team return home to Wuhan after 104 days abroad (BBC)
Chinese Super League team Wuhan Zall made an emotional homecoming after being unable to return for three months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Players had initially stayed at their winter training camp in Spain when the virus peaked in Wuhan in January.
After a prolonged transit in Germany, they landed in Shenzhen on 16 March and underwent three weeks’ quarantine. Read more
Ronaldinho requests a football to play with during his house arrest in Paraguay (Metro)
Ronaldinho has made one special request during his house arrest in Paraguay – to be able to play football. The Barcelona and Brazil legend was released from prison earlier this month after he was arrested for arriving in Paraguay with a fake passport and identity card. After his $1.6 million (£1.3m) bail was paid, Ronaldinho and his brother, who was also arrested, were moved out of prison and placed under house arrest in Paraguay. Read more
Roma players volunteer to forgo four months’ salary (BBC)
Roma chief executive Guido Fienga has praised his players’ “superb gesture” after they volunteered to forgo four months’ salary to help the club during the coronavirus pandemic.
The players, manager Paulo Fonseca and his staff will also pay the difference to ensure all club staff placed on furlough receive their full salary.
Led by captain Edin Dzeko, the team and Fonseca approached Roma’s hierarchy.
“We always talk about unity at Roma,” said Fienga. Read more
Chelsea players agree pay cut after text message from Cesar Azpilicueta (Metro)
Chelsea could become the first Premier League squad to take a voluntary pay cut after the players reportedly collectively agreed to the reduction in a group WhatsApp chat with skipper Cesar Azpilicueta. Despite extensive talks between clubs and players, so far no squad has yet agreed to a pay cut to ease financial difficulties during the coronavirus crisis – though Southampton did commit to a wage deferral. Arsenal’s squad are believed to be close to an agreement over a 12.5% reduction, with Mikel Arteta intervening to convince the players. Read more
Inter target Osimhen as Martinez replacement (Vanguard)
Lille striker Victor Osimhen could be the next Nigerian player to represent Inter Milan if reports emanating from the Italian press are anything to go by.
La Gazzetta Dello Sport reports that Osimhen is one of the players being targeted by Inter Milan as a replacement for Lautaro Martinez, who is heavily linked with a switch to Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
Leipzig’s Timo Werner, Manchester United’s Anthony Martial and Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic are the other players being considered by the Nerazzurri, with the German their primary target.
After joining Lille from Sporting Charleroi in August 2019, Osimhen has been one of the revelations of the Ligue 1 this season, scoring 13 goals in 27 matches and has produced five assists. Read more
‘I should have scored more goals’ – Rooney (DailyTrust)
Former Manchester United captain, Wayne Rooney reacts after scoring for his present club, Derby County in the English Championship Wayne Rooney may be Manchester United and England’s record goalscorer but he still believes he should have found the back of the net more often during his career, even though he was not a natural finisher. Rooney, a teenage sensation at Everton, joined United in 2004 and went on to score 253 goals in 559 appearances during a 13-year spell for the Old Trafford club that saw the Red Devils pile up the trophies. Rooney surpassed 1966 World Cup-winner Bobby Charlton as United’s all-time leading scorer, just as he did for England with a tally of 53 goals from 120 caps. Read more
Neuer ‘irritated’ as Bayern contract talks stall (Guardian)
Bayern Munich captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer told German media Sunday he has become “irritated” with negotiations to extend his contract, which have reportedly stalled in recent weeks.
“All talks I have had since I have been here having been confidential… nothing has ever leaked,” the 34-year-old told Germany’s most popular daily Bild.
“But now, details about the current talks are constantly appearing in the media, and are often untrue. That irritates me. It’s not something I am used to at Bayern.” Read more