TheNewsGuru

Tag: Coronavirus

  • BREAKING: Another COVID-19 case dies at home in Delta

    BREAKING: Another COVID-19 case dies at home in Delta

    Another Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case has reportedly died at home in Delta State before test result was released.

    Recall that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday confirmed a new case of COVID-19 in the State, bringing the total number of cases in the State to seven.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the deceased presented himself sick at the Central Hospital, Warri, and suspecting COVID-19, officials collected his sample and was asked to return home.

    The result of the test conducted on the sample collected by the health officials turned out positive.

    However, upon receipt of the result, the State Taskforce on COVID-19 contacted the family of the deceased and they were told the patient had died.

    It was gathered that the patient died on Saturday April 25, 2020, according to NDT.

  • Juve star tests positive for coronavirus for fourth time

    Juve star tests positive for coronavirus for fourth time

    Juventus forward Paulo Dybala has tested positive for the coronavirus for the fourth time in six weeks, according to reports.

    The Argentine confirmed on March 21 that he and his girlfriend Oriana Sabatini had contracted COVID-19 after his first test.

    According to Spanish programme El Chiringuito, Dybala has had four tests since initially contracting the disease and his most recent test has come back positive yet again.

  • Coronavirus: Oscars announces new rules for movie eligibility next year

    Coronavirus: Oscars announces new rules for movie eligibility next year

    The organisers of the Oscars, the U.S.highest awards in the movie industry said on Tuesday that films released only on streaming platforms or video on demand would be eligible for awards next year.

    The rule change follows the shutdown of movie theatres due to the coronavirus pandemic

    The temporary change was announced in a statement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

    It will apply only for next year’s Oscars and will lapse when movie theatres reopen across the nation,

    Previously, a movie had to be screened in a movie theatre in Los Angeles for at least seven days in order to be eligible for Oscar consideration.

    “The Academy firmly believes there is no greater way to experience the magic of movies than to see them in a theatre.

    “Our commitment to that is unchanged and unwavering.

    “Nonetheless, the historically tragic COVID-19 pandemic necessitates this temporary exception to our awards eligibility rules,” President David Rubin and Chief Executive Dawn Hudson said.

    Streaming platforms like Netflix have upended Hollywood, drawing A-list stars such as Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese and producing award-winning content like 2019 best foreign language winner “Roma” that have rivaled what traditional movie studios can offer.

    Movie theatres across the United States shut their doors in mid-March, forcing the postponement of major film releases.

    The three main movie theatre chains – AMC, Regal and Cinemark – have said they do not expect to reopen until late June or July.

    Some films, including Universal Pictures animated “Trolls World Tour,” have been released directly to streaming platforms or video on demand.

    Universal will do the same with the upcoming Judd Apatow comedy “The King of Staten Island,” while Walt Disney has announced it will release children’s fantasy film “Artemis Fowl” on its Disney+ streaming platform rather than wait for theatres to reopen. Others are expected to follow.

    The Oscars are still scheduled to take place in Hollywood on Feb. 28, 2021.

  • COVID-19: How Nasarawa index case family hid her from being tested on time – Gov Sule

    COVID-19: How Nasarawa index case family hid her from being tested on time – Gov Sule

    Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has expressed disappointment with the family of a lady in Kokona Local Government Area of the state for allegedly shielding her from the state government’s team to conduct a test on her.

    The governor spoke on Tuesday at the Government House in Lafia while addressing reporters on the identity of the first case in the state.

    “It is sad to announce that Nasarawa State has the first case from this lady who travelled from Kano to Kokona. We already evacuated the lady from Kokona to Lafia where we have better facilities to take care of her.

    “We have also isolated the family, where she came from, so that we could conduct proper tests on them to ensure that none of them is infected. But the sad part of everything about the lady is when we discovered that there was somebody who could have been infected as she came from Kano to the state.

    “We tried to go and conduct a test on this lady but the family hid her and prevented us from even conducting the test on the lady. That is the sad part.

    “I want to use this opportunity to encourage our people, especially the traders who continue to travail to some of these high risk places, like Kano and Lagos and returning home, that they could be doing more harm to their own members of the family than even the state. This is because right now, for this lady, we don’t know if some members of her family who were trying to hide her away from being tested are actually infected,” Sule said.

  • Coronavirus cases in US surpass one million; 57,266 Americans dead

    Coronavirus cases in US surpass one million; 57,266 Americans dead

    Coronavirus cases in the United States have surpassed one million, with 57,266 Americans dead.

    Currently, there are at least 1,002,498 cases of coronavirus in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases.

    The number of confirmed US coronavirus cases topped 500,000 on April 10, according to Johns Hopkins’ tally.

    New York, with 295,106 Coronavirus infections and 22,668 deaths is the epicentre of the pandemic in the United States.

    New Jersey, the second Coronavirus infected State in the US, has 112,956 infections and 6,442 deaths, while Massachusetts, with 56,462 cases and 3,003 deaths is the third most affected States in the US.

    .According to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, 402 additional fatalities were recorded, bringing the total to 6,442 deaths related to Covid-19 in the state.

    An additional 2,887 positive cases were reported in New Jersey, pushing the statewide total to 113,856.

  • BREAKING: Nigeria introduces new COVID-19 testing system

    BREAKING: Nigeria introduces new COVID-19 testing system

    Nigeria has introduced the use of the COBAS system at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) National Reference Laboratory for Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the NCDC made this known on Tuesday, stressing that using this new system, approximately 960 samples can be tested in 8 hours.

    According to the NCDC, this begins the second prong of the national strategy to integrate laboratory systems and increase testing capacity for COVID-19 in the country, leveraging capacity within the high-throughput HIV Molecular Testing Laboratories in the country.

    “There are about 37 molecular laboratory equipment platforms currently deployed and in use within the PEPFAR-supported National PCR Network for HIV viral load and Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) testing.

    “These include 6 Mega-PCR labs with very-high throughput machines which can be leveraged to expand COVID-19 testing. In response to global demand for rapid testing, Roche and Abbot technologies have developed and validated the SARS-CoV2 assay on the Corbas 6800/8800 and the M2000 platforms respectively.

    “These kits have received the U.S. Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the use of these platforms for SARS COV2 testing’. These Mega-PCR laboratories have a combined minimum testing capacity of 7,000 tests per day, about half of which will be dedicated to COVID-19 testing.

    “This will enable the bulk testing of COVID-19 suspected cases to be implemented in Abuja and Lagos using Roche Cobas 6800/8800; as well as Benue, Akwa Ibom and Anambra, using Abbott M2000.

    “Implementation of the test will increase the national output by at least additional 3500 tests per day. It is proposed that one instrument in each of the laboratories will be dedicated exclusively to COVID-19 testing,” NCDC stated in a release.

  • COVID-19: Delta State sets to begin local production of essential items

    COVID-19: Delta State sets to begin local production of essential items

    The Delta Ministry of Higher Education says it will partner with the State government-owned tertiary institutions to produce items that would impact positively on people’s lives.

    Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, the State Commissioner for Higher Education, made this known on Tuesday in Asaba.

    Muoboghare spoke at the inspection of the workshops in the Centre for Entrepreneur Studies of Delta State University, Abraka, where quality face marks were being produced.

    He said that such partnership would not only provide the institutions with the much needed funds, but would also equip the students with adequate skills for their future endeavours.

    “We will reach out to the Jobs Creation office to work out modalities on how the products of the office will have opportunity of acquiring more skills from the centre.

    “The mass production of face masks and hand sanitisers will go a long way in making the items available and cheaper in the market at a time when the items were in high demands due to COVID-19 pandemic.

    “We have already reached out to our colleagues in the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education on the need to patronise the institution for face masks for its pupils and students,” he said.

    Muoboghare urged all state-owned tertiary institutions to key into the laudable programme of entrepreneurship in their various institutions.

    Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Andy Egweunyeaga, said that the centre was established to train students on skill acquisition outside their academic disciplines as well as non-students interested in handwork.

    Egwunyenga said the centre has the capacity to produce 15, 000 face masks in one week.

    “The Faculty of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the Department of Health Sciences, has already started the production of hand sanitisers for public use.

    “The centre has facilities to train students in soap making, food processing, poultry production, amongst others,” he said.

    The vice-chancellor said that acquisition of such skills would equip graduates with the wherewithal to be employers of labour.

    “On resumption, all students must wear face masks in the campus and observe other protocols that will stem the tide of the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

    “I commend the management and staff of the university for their cooperation.

    “I pray for its sustenance as this is the only way to move the institution to a higher ground,” he said.

    Egwunyenga called on the citizenry to observe all the necessary protocols in order to stem the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the entire world.

  • COVID-19: Nasarawa quarantines over 200 travellers

    COVID-19: Nasarawa quarantines over 200 travellers

    The Nasarawa government says it has quarantined over 200 people coming from states with high number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

    Abdulkarim Kana, state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, disclosed this during a press briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Lafia, to give update on measures taken to contain the spread of the virus in the state.

    Kana, a member of the state Task Force on COVLD-19, said the people coming into Nasarawa from states with high confirmed cases of the virus were intercepted and quarantined for observation for 14 days at a facility in Lafia, based on the directive of Governor Abdullahi Sule.

    “Samples from some of them were taken for testing and the results turnout negative.

    “Those whose results turnout negative were released already and we are still awaiting some results,” he added.

    Similarly, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Bola Longe, who spoke on behalf of the security agencies, said over 400 persons were arrested and prosecuted for violating the restriction order by the government within the last three weeks.

    He added that security operatives would ensure the full enforcement of the Federal Government’s directive on interstate travel.

    He, therefore, warned the residents to adhere strictly to government directives on the partial lockdown and restriction of movement in their best interest as the security agencies would arrest and prosecute all violators.

    Also, Dogo Shammah, Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, assured that the government would rollout more palliatives to cushion the effects of the lockdown.

    He added that the government had received support of about 40 trucks of rice, sugar and maize from some private donor and would soon distribute them to the people.

    Shammah also disclosed that the government would address the press regularly to keep the people informed of developments concerning COVID-19 as its unfold.

    Governor Abdullahi Sule had earlier announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the state

    He said the patient is a 25-year-old woman, who recently traveled from Kano state to Garaku in Kokona Local Government Area of the state.

  • Photo: 11-year-old donates N300 to fight against COVID-19 in Edo

    Photo: 11-year-old donates N300 to fight against COVID-19 in Edo

    The Edo State Government has received cash donation from an 11-year-old girl, Miss Agbongiarhuoyi Eloghosa Favour, in support of government’s efforts to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the state.

    Making her donation in Government House Benin City, Favour said she is supporting the Edo State Government with the money in commemoration of her 11th birthday.

    She said, “I am celebrating my birthday and have donated the money to support the Edo State Government. This will help to strengthen government’s fight against the spread of COVID-19.

    “I brought N300 to assist the government to fight the scourge. I marked my 11th birthday two weeks ago and decided to do this,” she said.

    The Focal Person of Edo State Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Office, Mrs. Ifueko Alufokhai, commended the little girl for her donation, which she said will encourage others to do likewise.

    “I am overwhelmed that an 11-year-old girl is making a difference to her state through her donation.

    “She is teaching the adults to know how to act, and how to support the government at this critical time. Instead of spending the money on herself, she decided to support the government to fight the pandemic. For me, it is really heartwarming. She has really done well as nothing is too small; it will go a long way to help the government win the fight against COVID 19.”

    Agbongiarhuoyi’s father, Pastor Peter Agbongiarhuoyi, who accompanied her to make the donation, expressed delight for the support her daughter has given to the state government.

    “I thank God for giving her the idea for the donation in support of the government. This is a lesson to others, reminding us of the need to support government with whatever we have. It will portray us as good ambassadors and role models to follow,” he said.

  • COVID-19: NLC opposes stoppage of workers’ salaries, pay cuts

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged employers of labour to show solidarity by ensuring job protection for workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

    The NLC said it has asked its affiliates and state councils to resist any salary deduction on the account of COVID-19.

    Labour noted this critical period of coronavirus pandemic was not the time for employers of labour to stop workers’ salaries or enforce pay cuts.

    It noted that the stoppage of salaries or enforcement of pay cuts at this time would be illogical and illegal as workers’ salaries are core elements of employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements.

    NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, stated these at a press conference to mark the 2020 International Workers Memorial Workers’ Day in Abuja.

    Wabba said: “In reciprocation of the enormous sacrifice made by workers, we urge employers of labour to show solidarity with the sacrifice of our workers and people by ensuring wage protection, income support and social inclusion at these trying times.

    “This is not the time to stop or deduct from workers’ salaries. Such an action would be both illogical and illegal as workers’ salaries are core elements of employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements.

    “We have asked our affiliates and state councils to resist any salary deduction on the account of COVID-19.

    “We reassure our workers that our priority in these trying times remains the cautious, gradual, evidence-led and smart restart of the economy so that our workers can go back to work.

    “We are also completely committed to the recovery of lost jobs, protection of wages, support for income and livelihood and improvement of Nigeria’s social safety net.”

    Wabba asked Governors to follow the steps of the Federal Government by providing insurance cover and enhanced incentives for frontline health workers.

    The NLC President commended Sokoto State government for leading the way in this regard.