Three doctors test positive to COVID-19 in Lagos (Nation)
The Medical Guild says three of its members at Alimosho General Hospital and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, had tested positive for COVID-19.
Dr Oluwajimi Sodipo and Dr Ismail Ajibowo,
Chairman and Secretary of the guild respectively, made this known on Thursday in Lagos on the Instagram account of the guild.
Medical Guild is an umbrella body of doctors under the employment of the Lagos State Government. Read more
Ease Lagos lockdown now, Bode George tells FG (DailyTrust)
Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George has called for an end to the lockdown in Lagos, saying the lockdown is “breeding a hunger virus.”
Daily Trust reports that Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of the state has been on lockdown for almost a month in a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
It would be recalled that the state was on a partial shutdown for one week before the Federal Government imposed 14-day lockdown which was extended for another 14 days. Read more
CSO kicks as Lagos demolishes houses during lockdown (Punch)
Civil Society Organisation, Enough is Enough Nigeria, has condemned the demolition of houses in the Ogba area of Lagos State amid the coronavirus lockdown.
It said the demolition exercise carried out by the Lagos State Government negated the stay-at-home and social distancing order of the government.
Some of the demolished buildings
It stated, “Reports reaching us say, Lagos State Government is demolishing homes, sending the poor into the streets and rendering them homeless at Ifelodun Street, Oke-Ira, behind Yaya Abatan, Ogba.
“These actions undermine efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We urge the state government to cease the destruction of properties in Ogba. This is not the time to undermine national efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Read more
Lagos records new COVID-19 related deaths (Nation)
Lagos state has recorded two new coronavirus deaths.
Lagos Commissioner for Health Professor Akin Abayomi confirmed this in a Tweet on Thursday.
He said 74 new cases were confirmed on Wednesday which brings the total confirmed cases in the state to 512.
He said “74 new #COVID19 cases confirmed in Lagos on the 22nd of April, 2020
“Total number of confirmed #COVID19 cases in Lagos rises to 512
“Lagos recorded 2 more #COVID19 related deaths.” Read more
APM Terminals commissions N33.6bn cranes in Lagos ports upgrade (Vanguard)
The management of the Nigeria s biggest container terminal operator, A. P Moller Terminal Apapa, yesterday commissioned two new multimillion dollars state-of-the-art Mobile Harbor Cranes MHCs, valued N33.6billion, (about $80million), to boost its service delivery at the Apapa Port, Lagos.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, said that, that is the highest by any private terminal operator in Nigeria.
The value of this current investment brings A.P. Moller total investment by the company in Apapa since 2006 to N184billion (about$438million). Read more
ASUU rejects BVN submission as condition for payment of withheld salaries (DailyTrust)
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has rejected the submission of Bank Verification Number as a condition for the payment of February and March withheld salaries of its members at federal universities.
ASUU President Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja.
The Federal Government had on Tuesday in a statement approved the payment of February and March withheld salaries of lecturers in universities, who were yet to enrol on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System. Read more
Immigration extends suspension of passport issuance, processing over coronavirus (Guardian)
The Nigeria Immigration Service on Thursday extended the existing suspension passports processing in its offices across the country.
A spokesman for the immigration Sunday James in a statement said the extension was in compliance with the government’s restriction of movement over the spread of coronavirus.
“The Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede MFR, has accordingly directed for the extension of the temporary suspension of processing of passport and Migrant e-Registration from the 23rd April – 23rd May 2020 in pursuance of the government’s directives on Restrictions on International Flight and closure of land borders,” James said. Read more
Troops raid militia hideout in Benue, kill 3, recover weapons (DailyTrust)
Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have killed three suspected members of an armed militia and recovered several weapons in Anku Mbagen community of Ukum Local Government Area in Benue State following a recent military operation carried out in the vicinity.
Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, Defence Headquarters, Major-General John Enenche, in a statement mailed to our correspondent in Makurdi on Thursday, said the troops of OPWS made up of Sector 2 deployed at Katsina Ala, Ukum and Logo LGAS of Benue state and those of Sector 4 drawn from parts of Taraba state carried out the operation. Read more
Mum-of-three awakes from coronavirus coma to find she is pregnant with twins (Metro)
A pregnant mum-of-three has woken from a coronavirus induced coma to find she is expecting twins. Danielle Martin, 32, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, was left fighting for her life when she was rushed to hospital while nine weeks pregnant and diagnosed with Covid-19. But the ‘living nightmare’ later turned to joy when doctors revealed that she and partner Bryan, 32, are expecting not one, but two babies. The stay-at-home mum’s illness began with a sore throat, which turned into a bad chest. However, she was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with severe pneumonia on March 30 after feeling like she ‘could barely breath’. Read more
Coronavirus: Kenya quarantine escapees arrested while drinking at bar (BBC)
Two people who fled a quarantine centre in Kenya have been arrested at a bar where they were found drinking despite social distancing regulations.
They were among dozens of people filmed jumping over a wall of the facility in the capital, Nairobi, drawing public condemnation.
While under arrest they said they had planned the escape because they were not getting tested for the virus. Read more
India rape: Six-year-old victim’s eyes damaged in attack (BBC)
Police in India have launched a manhunt after a six-year-old girl was abducted outside her home in Madhya Pradesh state and raped.
The attacker inflicted severe injuries to the child’s eyes, in an apparent attempt to stop her identifying him.
She is in a critical condition in hospital in Jabalpur city, police told the BBC.
The state’s Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called the attack “shameful”. Read more
US food supply strained even as farmers keep producing (VOA)
Inside a sprawling barn on a farm outside Cambridge, Wisconsin, Tina Hinchley tends to hundreds of cows as part of her daily chores, something that hasn’t stopped during the COVID-19 crisis.
“There is huge demand,” she said, for the kind of milk produced by Hinchley’s cows, which line up, one by one, to an automated machine that collects the product from their udders.
Historically, about 90% of the milk produced on the Hinchley farm supplied Wisconsin’s famous cheese industry, which, like everything else in American life, is in upheaval due to the coronavirus. Read more
Developing world economies hit hard by coronavirus (BBC)
Global demand for oil has fallen sharply as a result of coronavirus
The world is experiencing a sharp deterioration in economic performance, due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
Developing countries are certain to be hit hard by what the International Monetary Fund, and others, warn will be the worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Almost every country on the planet is being affected. The IMF expects 170 nations – rich and poor – to experience a decline in economic activity per person this year. That means falling average living standards. Read more
COVID-19 threatens centuries old Ramadan traditions (VOA)
The coronavirus outbreak threatens to upend faith-based traditions that have gone on for almost 1,500 years. The world’s nearly 2 billion Muslims will not be able to hold communal feasts and prayers that are a hallmark of Ramadan, their holiest month, starting this week.
The pandemic has forced many governments to order restrictions on travel, gathering and collective prayers the likes of which the world has not seen before. Around the world, mosques that worshippers swarm during Ramadan are expected to be empty or have limited attendance.
In Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the doors of Kaaba, the holiest of sites for Muslims, usually full to the brim with worshippers from around the world during Ramadan. Now, they are closed. Masjid al-Nabawi, the mosque of Muhammad, the Muslim Prophet, is similarly shut. Read more
Val Kilmer says Top Gun co-star Tom Cruise was ‘laser focused on becoming greatest action hero in history of film’ (Metro)
Comment Val Kilmer has recalled working with Tom Cruise on the first Top Gun(Picture: Getty Images) Share this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via whatsapp Sarah Deen Thursday 23 Apr 2020 5:13 pm Val Kilmer has recalled Tom Cruise’s unrelenting focus on becoming a huge action movie star from their days working on the first Top Gun. The actors both appeared in the 1986 film directed by Tony Scott, about students at an elite fighter pilot school. Tom was in the starring role as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell while Val played Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, with Anthony Edwards and Kelly McGillis also in the cast. Read more
UEFA to advance up to 70 million euros to clubs amid financial crisis (Guardian)
UEFA will immediately release almost 70 million euros ($75.5m) in benefit payments to clubs struggling financially during the coronavirus crisis, European football’s governing body announced on Thursday.
The money was originally put aside to be paid to clubs who had released players for international matches after the completion of the European Championship qualifying play-offs.
Those matches were initially due to be played at the end of March but were postponed as football across the continent ground to a halt in the middle of last month due to the health crisis. They have since been postponed until further notice, with Euro 2020 postponed by 12 months. Read more
Euro 2020 to keep original name despite switch to 2021 (Punch)
The next European Championship will continue to be called Euro 2020 despite being postponed by a year to 2021, UEFA confirmed on Thursday.
Following an Executive Committee meeting of European football’s governing body by videoconference, UEFA said maintaining the same name would be a way of remembering the coronavirus pandemic and the difficult times faced by the continent this year as a result.
In addition, and most importantly, UEFA had already produced huge amounts of branded merchandising before the tournament was put back by a year. Read more
Bundesliga ‘ready to return on 9 May’, says German Football League (BBC)
Despite football being halted across the globe by the coronavirus pandemic with all major leagues and competitions suspended, the Bundesliga is now eager to return to action with plans to play spectator-free games in May.
Germany has led the way in its approach to combating the coronavirus pandemic. The country’s intense programme of consistent testing from early on has resulted in far fewer deaths than the worst-affected countries.
The German Football League (DFL), responsible for operating the Bundesliga and the second division, is determined to finish the current season. Its 36 professional clubs met on Thursday to discuss a restart of the season next month. Read more
COVID-19: Chelsea star buys protective masks for traders in Sierra Leone (DailyTrust)
Antonio Rüdiger of Chelsea Football Club of England has launched a $30, 000 fund raising campaign to procure 60, 000 protective face masks for distribution to low income market traders in Free Town, Sierra Leone.
The initiative according to the soccer star was aimed at reducing the spread of coronavirus in the West African country.
He launched the Gift Box on his official twitter handle, appealing to wealthy individuals and groups to support the initiative for the vulnerable group in Freetown.
He kick started the donation with a pledge of $5, 000. Read more
Saturday afternoon football to hit UK screens for first time in 50 years in just two weeks with Bundesliga on BT (Sun)
LIVE Saturday afternoon football is to hit UK screens for the first time in 50 years in just two weeks with the Bundesliga on BT.
For more than six decades the blackout window has stopped three o’clock matches from being televised, in a bid to protect attendances – particularly at EFL games.
Football will hit UK screens for the first time in 50 years in just two weeks with the Bundesliga on BT
The Bundesliga is set to be Europe’s first major football league to resume matches after being KO’d due to the coronavirus.
A blackout across all the 3pm action on a Saturday has been enforced since the 1950s in order to ensure healthy match day attendances. Read more
Sports nostalgia all the rage during virus lockdown (Guardian)
From Premier League stars reliving their own iconic moments to the documentary that broke records in America, the lack of sport during the coronavirus lockdown has triggered a wave of nostalgia among fans and players.
With virtually no live-action anywhere in the world due to the pandemic, sports lovers have been forced to go cold turkey over the past two months.
Whether it is the Premier League being postponed, cricket tours being cancelled or US leagues going into hibernation, the sudden shutdown has been a shock to the system. Read more
COVID-19: Ahmed Musa denies testing positive (DailyTrust)
Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has debunked the news making rounds that he tested positive to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He disclosed this in a post via his Instagram handle: @ahmedmusa718
Musa, who plays football in Saudi Arabia for his club side arrived Nigeria over the weekend in a private jet with another Super Eagles teammate, John Ogu, alongside some family members.
He said that he had gone into self-isolation alongside his family members on arrival in line with government’s directive, describing his alleged positive COVID-19 status as “false news.” Read more