TheNewsGuru

Tag: Coronavirus

  • [Video] Covid-19: Permit us into isolation centers to heal sick Nigerians – Apostle Suleman begs FG

    The founder of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari Government, to allow pastors to heal COVID-19 patients.

    He stated this during an online broadcast via his church’s Facebook page on Saturday.

    Suleman said those with the gift of divine healing need to be given permission, to visit isolation centres and heal people.

    “Please (referring to the government) permit us to go and pray for COVID-19 patients. Allow us to go there (isolation centres), that is why there are men of God,” he said.

    “If you are really anointed to pray for the sick, this is the time because what is holding the world is sickness. So, we’re begging the government to permit us into isolation centres, that is the only way we can reduce this nonsense because it will improve every day.

    “There are people with the gift of healing, God has gifted them to pray for the sick. It is not fake, gimmick or arranged. It is there in them. Permit us so that we can prove there are prophets in Nigeria.”

    Watch video:


    As at Saturday night, there were 1,095 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Nigeria.

    There is still no approved vaccine for the virus.

  • Global COVID-19 death toll hits 200,000, confirmed cases three million

    Global deaths linked to the coronavirus passed 200,000 on Saturday, while confirmed cases of the virus are expected to hit three million in the coming days, according to Reuters.

    More than half of the fatalities have been reported by the United States, Spain and Italy.

    The first death linked to the disease was reported on January 10 in Wuhan, China. It took 91 days for the death toll to pass 100,000 and a further 16 days to reach 200,000.

    By comparison, there are an estimated 400,000 deaths annually from malaria, one of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases.

    The United States had reported more than 52,400 deaths as yesterday morning, while Italy, Spain and France have reported between 22,000-26,000 fatalities each.

    Of the top 20 most severely affected countries, Belgium has reported the highest number of fatalities per capita, with six deaths per 10,000 people, compared to 4.9 in Spain and 1.6 in the United States.

    Around 8% of all cases reported in the U.S. have been fatal, while more than 10% of cases reported in Spain and Italy have resulted in deaths.

    However, those rates would be considerably lower if the infection totals included the many cases of the illness that go unreported –since not everyone with symptoms is tested.

    Asia and Latin America have reported more than 7,000 deaths, while the Middle East has reported upward of 8,800. The current toll in Africa is around 1,350.

    The global death toll has continued to grow at a rate of 3-4% per day over the past 10 days, though that rate has slowed since the beginning of the month.

    The true number of fatalities is expected to be higher as many countries have not included deaths recorded in nursing homes and other locations outside hospitals.

  • BREAKING: Nigeria records 87 new cases of Coronavirus, toll now 1,182

    BREAKING: Nigeria records 87 new cases of Coronavirus, toll now 1,182

    Nigeria has recorded 87 new cases of Coronavirus, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC said late Saturday night.

    This represents a drop from the 114 cases the nation recorded on Friday.

    As usual, Lagos recorded 33 new coronavirus cases, which represents a drop from the 80 cases it recorded on Friday.

    Also Borno recorded a rise in infection with 18 new cases on Saturday, while Osun also recorded a rise with 12 new cases.

    Katsina recorded nine new cases, while Kano and Ekiti have four new cases each, with Edo and Bauchi having three cases each and Imo, one case.

    Imo is the latest State to have joined the league of Coronavirus infection states.

    “87 new cases of #COVID19 have been reported; 33 in Lagos, 18 in Borno, 12 in Osun, 9 in Katsina, 4 in Kano, 4 in Ekiti, 3 in Edo, 3 in Bauchi and 1 in Imo.

    “As at 11:55 pm 25th April there are 1,182 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. Discharged: 222; Deaths: 35,” NCDC said on its twitter handle.

    How States Stand

    Lagos-689
    FCT-138
    Kano-77
    Ogun-35
    Osun-32
    Gombe-30
    Katsina-30
    Borno-30
    Edo-22
    Oyo-18
    Kwara-11
    Akwa Ibom-11
    Bauchi-11
    Kaduna-10
    Ekiti-8
    Ondo-4
    Delta-6
    Rivers-3
    Jigawa-2
    Enugu-2
    Niger-2
    Abia-2
    Zamfara-2
    Sokoto-2
    Benue-1
    Anambra-1
    Adamawa-1
    Plateau-1
    Imo-1

  • COVID-19: Recovered patients not immune from reinfection – WHO

    COVID-19: Recovered patients not immune from reinfection – WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there is no evidence that people who recovered from COVID-19 cannot be re-infected.

    In a “Scientific Brief” released from its headquarters in Geneva on Saturday and posted on its website, WHO warned against propagating the idea of COVID-19 ‘immunity passport’.

    “Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an ‘immunity passport’.

    “They have suggested that it could serve as an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate’ that would enable individuals to travel or return to work, assuming they are protected against re-infection.

    “There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.

    “The development of immunity to a pathogen through natural infection is a multi-step process that typically takes place over one to two weeks,’’ WHO said.

    It said that it would continue to review the evidence on antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

    “Most of these studies show that people who have recovered from infection have antibodies to the virus.

    “However, some of these people have very low levels of neutralising antibodies in their blood, suggesting that cellular immunity may also be critical for recovery.’’

    As at April 24, 2020, no study has evaluated whether the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans.”

    WHO, however, said that it supported the methodology adopted by countries to test SARS-CoV-2.

    “Many countries are now testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at the population level or in specific groups, such as health workers, close contacts of known cases, or within households.

    “WHO supports these studies, as they are critical for understanding the extent of, and risk factors associated with, the infection.

    “These studies will provide data on the percentage of people with detectable COVID-19 antibodies, but most are not designed to determine whether those people are immune to secondary infections,’’ it said.

  • COVID-19: Police officer tests positive in Lagos, sneaks into Ondo for treatment

    COVID-19: Police officer tests positive in Lagos, sneaks into Ondo for treatment

    Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has expressed worries over the level of porosity of the entry points to Ondo state.

    Akeredolu expressed his worries on Saturday after a police officer who tested positive for COVID-19 in Lagos gained entry into the state.

    Akeredolu who revealed this on his twitter handle described the action of the policeman as reckless.

    He said: “Earlier today, I got news of another positive case of #COVID19 admitted to our facility in Akure.

    “The case of this individual who is a police officer is unique. He was tested in Lagos but came to Ondo state while awaiting his results. Upon receiving a positive result, he claimed to have returned back to Lagos.

    “He waited a few days in Lagos to be picked up. When this failed, he panicked and rushed back to Akure for treatment. While we appreciate the confidence reposed in our facilities, We do find it most reckless on the part of the officer of the Law to risk the lives of others.

    “I am most disappointed in the level of porosity of the entry points to the state. The police officer should know better. I have contacted the commissioner of police to double up on securing our entry points.”

  • NPA confirms TNG report, opens up on how staff member contracted COVID-19

    NPA confirms TNG report, opens up on how staff member contracted COVID-19

    Sequel to an exclusive report by TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) about a senior staff of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) contracting the novel coronavirus [COVID-19] disease and the possibility of a mass infection, the agency on Saturday opened up how the affected staff contacted the deadly virus.

    It said the affected staff recently proceeded on a visit to his father-in-law only to discovered that they had taken ill. On careful examination and testing, his father-in-law and the rest of the family tested positive for COVID-19. The staff whom the NPA said was not on the senior cadre decided to self-isolate and later go for COVID-19 test which came positive. The staff and other family members are now receiving treatments at one of the isolation centres in Lagos.

    The agency in a reaction signed and released by its General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Jatto A Adams, said after proper consultation with concerned authorities it took necessary precautions by disinfecting its premises and asked staff members who had been in contact with the suspected case to proceed on self-isolation.

    The statement reads in part: “A member of staff of one of the terminals at the ports, who has not been at the office since Friday April 17, 2020 had visited his father-in-law and family during the weekend of Friday, April 17, 2020 and Sunday April 19, 2020.

    On arrival, he discovered that the medical practitioner father-in- law, his own wife and children had taken ill.

    On Monday, April 20, they were all diagnosed with Coronavirus as a result of which he decided to isolate himself and get tested. He wrote to the office to inform them about the situation and his decision to self-isolate.

    On Thursday, April 23,2020, he again wrote to inform the company that he had tested positive to Coronavirus and that the entire family was now receiving treatment at one of the isolation centres in Lagos.

    The company immediately (on the same Thursday, April 23,2020) wrote to inform and seek advice from the Coordinator of Health Ports Services in line with guidelines laid down by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). for the report of COVID-19 incidents.

    The company, in line with advice from Port Health Services, has disinfected the premises, while all personnel who interacted with the staff have been identified and asked to self-isolate.”

  • Embracing remote learning and working after COVID-19 as our new reality – Ehi Braimah

    Embracing remote learning and working after COVID-19 as our new reality – Ehi Braimah

    By Ehi Braimah

    The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is still on the war path, ravaging the land and killing people. However, we are consoled by the fact that whatever has a beginning will surely have an end and the human race will continue to endure from generation to generation. In challenging times, empathy matters; we have to remain resilient, hopeful, confident, optimistic and thoughtful about the future. The global economy has been severely impacted by COVID-19 and we must therefore adapt our normal lives to the significant changes taking place. What does the foreseeable future look like? We cannot tell but English Naturalist, Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882), famous for his Theory of Evolution, said, “Those who survive are not the strongest or the most intelligent, but the most adaptable to change”.

    Every global crisis ushers in a “new cultural moment” which we must adapt to on the one hand, and embrace the challenges and opportunities on the other. As we go along and navigate these unchartered waters, Susan Kobasa, a psychologist writing in www.mindtools.com, reminds us that we must be resilient and never give up. She explains the importance of resilience as our “ability to adapt and bounce back when things don’t go as planned”. Kobasa also highlighted the three characteristics of resilience as ‘challenge’ (resilient people view difficulty as a challenge, not a paralysing event); ‘commitment’ (resilient people are committed to their lives and goals) and ‘personal control’ (resilient people focus on only the things they have control over). COVID-19 will impact our businesses in ways we never imagined but we can empower ourselves by adapting to the new reality and do even greater things.

    Talking about changes, our world has also been disrupted by rapidly changing digital technologies in more ways than one and the three biggest enablers are the internet, smart phones and social media. The good news is that these changing technologies continually make our lives better. The largest accommodation provider in the world is AirBnB but it owns no real estate. Who would have thought, some years back, that you can actually share an apartment with strangers? Facebook is the most popular media in the world and yet it provides no content; Alibaba is the most valuable retailer but it has no inventory; Instagram does not sell cameras but we are happy to upload our photographs and share our stories thereby making it the most valuable photo company in the world. Now, we can book rides from our smart phones, making UBER, which owns no vehicle, the biggest taxi company in the world. Most car owners now prefer cab hailing services because it is actually cheaper when you consider the wear and tear on your car and cost of petrol. It is the same story with Netflix, the largest growing TV network that does not lay cables. What would life be like today without access to the internet or without these global tech brands? To be honest, it will be miserable. There’s so much happening on the World Wide Web with endless possibilities. We are gradually being introduced to the internet of things (IoT), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G technologies.

    Technology is placing useful information at our finger tips every blessed day. Computers are becoming increasingly faster, more portable and high-powered than ever before. See how Facebook has brought families and friends together with over 2.5 billion users, taking socialization to a new level. Practically everything – well almost everything – is done on the internet including online banking and online newspapering; businesses and schools have also migrated to the digital space. If you’re travelling, you can book your ticket and make hotel reservation from any device, especially your smart phone. Any business, commercial and non-commercial organisation ignoring the internet does so at its own peril. With just a click of the button, searching the internet has been made easy with Google, the number one search engine brand in the world. According to Walter Landor (1913 – 1995), a pioneer of branding and consumer research techniques widely used to this day, “Products are made in the factory but brands are created in the mind”. Al Ries, one of the world’s best known marketing strategists, agrees that successful brands such as Facebook, UBER, Netflix, AirBnB, Alibaba, Instagram and Google are created in the mind through strategic positioning principles.

    Like most businesses, Google also struggled when the company started. In his best-selling book, “Burn the Business Plan”, Carl Schramm, a university professor and entrepreneur, wrote this about Google: “Just as in the big company environment, every startup has to constantly and continuously improve its products if it hopes to survive. Google provides a good example. At first, it foundered in a sea of search engine companies. Many observers didn’t give it a chance in the face of Excite, Webcrawler, Altavista, Infoseek, and Yahoo. (Other than Yahoo, do you recognise those names?) It was not until Google founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, hired a professional CEO, Eric Schmidt, who in turn recruited Hal Varian, that the company found a way to make money. As an economics professor at Berkeley, Varian had developed the algorithms that enabled Google to devise targeted advertising. That business competence allowed it to rapidly rise to dominate the search industry”.

    In a world turned upside down by COVID-19, the global pandemic has taught us that remote learning and working are possible by deploying the relevant tech tools such as Zoom video conferencing, a cloud based service, during the forced lockdown. Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari joined advocates of remote working around the world when he participated in an extra-ordinary ECOWAS meeting in Abuja through a video conference to review the impact of the deadly coronavirus on the region. From my personal experience, remote learning is no longer a distant possibility; it is right here with us. Over a 30 months period, I took part in online classes for my MBA programme at the University of Roehampton, London. It was a very intense and rigorous schedule with short breaks between course modules. The only time we travelled to London was for the graduation ceremony.

    Since the lockdown began, remote meetings have become the order of the day. We now conduct our weekly Rotary meetings using the Zoom video conference application which allows messages to be shared while the meeting is on; hands can be raised if you wish to speak by using the hand icon provided and microphones can be muted to allow for uninterrupted conversations. At a strategy session recently where we reviewed the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in Nigeria, there was a debate on our readiness to adopt remote working as a way of life. Toju Ogbe, a Nigerian communications strategist based in the UK, was one of the participants and he does not think remote working will become our new reality in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 because of our peculiar challenges. Ogbe said, “Nigeria is still significantly unprepared for large scale adoption of remote learning and working. For instance, if you consider the proportion of schools – especially public schools – that do not have the capacity to offer remote learning, you will see that we are yet to scratch the surface. I would imagine it is the same in the work place, and the issue is less about our choice and more about our readiness. The public and private sector organisations should collaborate and develop a framework with timelines for remote learning and working capabilities. However, in the UK and other advanced countries, remote working is not a new thing because the available infrastructure supports online studies and working from home.”

    Debo Adebayo, the facilitator of the session, disagreed with Ogbe because, according to him, he worked on a regular basis remotely for some clients before COVID-19. “The key to remote working is to have a clear cut contract with you client and effective performance management system,” Adebayo advised. “Remote learning and working will become our new reality from the lock down experience. As a way of reducing cost, most organisations will encourage remote working,” he added. To be able to study or work remotely, you need space, laptop and internet access. Participants were in agreement that the challenges posed by low speed internet and poor electricity supply should be addressed by the relevant organisations. In a congested city such as Lagos, where you can be held up in traffic for over three hours on your way to attend a meeting, remote meetings may be the solution to save time and other resources. For some organisations, remote working may not be applicable because of the need to protect sensitive proprietary tools and information. In such scenarios, you can only work from within the company premises by logging into a remote serve, and once you step out, you are logged out.

    Ogbe also observed that working from home requires total commitment and adjustment of our thinking, orientation and mindset. “If you agree with your employer that you will work for six hours from home on a particular day, please for God’s sake, make sure you work for six hours,” he admonished, with a strong accent on integrity because our word should be our bond. The issue of internet security also came up during the strategy session especially now that Zoom meetings are becoming popular. The ICT expert among us insisted that hackers are on the prowl every minute of the day and noted that even chats and voice/video calls on WhatsApp are not safe. Do not click on any suspicious link or open a spam email; instead, delete immediately or you can copy and paste the link on a new web browser so that your devices and information are not compromised. Nigeria can create massive opportunities for digital business if only we can establish our own local data centres and empower the ICT professionals.

    Group meetings/conferences are also conducted using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter applications. WhatsApp is a popular medium of communication with chat, voice and video capabilities for local/international calls free of charge. Meetings also take place in WhatsApp groups, and in some cases, WhatsApp forums are created to achieve different objectives. By the way, Facebook is the owner of Instagram and WhatsApp — Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion 18 months after it was launched, and subsequently bought WhatsApp when it was five years for $19 billion.

    As we prepare for the post quarantine era, remote learning and working will still come across as a form of culture shock; a practice we are not generally used to but the more we embrace tech tools and their applications, we more we are likely to adopt the range of benefits in spite of the limitations of irregular electricity supply, expensive data and internet disruptions. The rest of the world is moving ahead in the digital space and we cannot afford to be left behind.

    *Braimah is a public relations and marketing strategist based in Lagos

  • New research shows Vitamin D can help fight Covid-19

    A new research conducted by the Technological University Dublin (TUD) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD), has highlighted how Vitamin D is essential in helping the immune system fight novel Coronavirus (Covid-19).

    The two separate Irish studies both recommend that taking vitamin D (vitD) supplements may enhance resistance to respiratory infections such as Covid-19, according to a newly published Irish study paper.

    VitD is produced in the skin by exposing the body to just 10-15 minutes per day of sun and, in Ireland, it can only be made between late March and late September.

    According to researchers from the TUD and TCD, a combination of factors including poor dietary intake, low supplementation rates and suboptimal sun exposure, has resulted in widespread vitD deficiency across the country.

    Therefore, people from at-risk groups would benefit from a vitD dietary supplement and that supplementation may limit the severity of Covid-19 for those who become infected.

    Although elderly people were most likely to be vitD deficient, Dr Daniel McCartney (TUD) and Dr Declan Byrne (TCD) said all adults should consider taking 20-50 micrograms of vitD a day.

    Dr McCartney, Lecturer in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, TUD, said vitD deficiency was prevalent in Ireland especially amongst nursing home residents, older people in general, and hospital patients.

    VitD deficiency, he added, may significantly increase the risk and severity of viral respiratory infections, including Covid-19.

    VitD supplementation
    “Supplementing a healthy diet with 20-50 micrograms per day of vitamin D represents a cheap, safe and potentially very effective protection for Irish adults against Covid-19,” Dr McCartney added.

    Dr Byrne, Clinical Senior Lecturer, St James’s Hospital and School of Medicine, TCD, added that their findings emphasised the need to introduce vitD supplements for all nursing home residents, hospital inpatients as well as the older population.

    “These recommendations are important while we await development of a vaccine and trial evidence of effective drug treatment for Covid-19,” he said.

    “Our findings call for the immediate supplementation of all hospital inpatients, nursing home residents and older Irish adults with vitamin D. Our findings also suggest that vitamin D supplementation in the broader adult population, and particularly in front-line healthcare workers, may further help to limit infection and flatten the Covid-19 curve.”

    Writing in the April 2020 edition of the Irish Medical Journal (IMJ), McCartney and Byrne said vitD deficiency (serum 25(OH)D<50nmol/l) was associated with increased risk of acute viral respiratory infection and community acquired pneumonia, with several molecular mechanisms proposed to explain this association, while vitD supplementation was shown to reduce the risk of respiratory infection. (‘Optimisation of Vitamin D Status for Enhanced Immuno-protection Against Covid-19’, IMJ, Vol 113; No. 4; P58).

  • SPECIAL REPORT: Tension mounts over increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Lagos

    SPECIAL REPORT: Tension mounts over increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Lagos

    The daily increasing number of confirmed novel coronavirus [COVID-19] cases in Lagos is beginning to turn a source of worry to both the government and the governed.

    1. TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that what started in February as a single imported case is now heading to thousands with high tendencies of recording more intimidating figures in the coming days/weeks.

    While the government can be said to have been at its best since the outbreak of the deadly virus, however, the overwhelming medical demands and attention of the densely populated state at this crucial time might just make that effort look like just ‘a drop of water in a mighty ocean’.

    With a poor testing culture, flagrant disobedience to social distancing rule, and the presidential stay-at-home order which has helped drastically reduced the spread of the virus in order climes, the state and indeed the country at large might be ignorantly heading for an unprecedented surge in the number of confirmed cases in the coming days/weeks. However, most worrying of all these is the unmotivated health workers and dilapidated state of public health facilities in Nigeria to handle above certain number of cases.

    TNG notes with concern that if the numbers keep going up at this alarming rate without a corresponding drastic intervention in the health sector, several lives may be lost to the pandemic.

    Lagos, owing to its commercial status in the country and continent, accounts for over 60 per cent of the entire confirmed cases in Nigeria. The deadly virus which was hitherto referred to by most average and low income residents as sickness of ‘big or rich man’ has now cleverly penetrated 17 out of the 20 federal government recognised local governments in the state according to the state’s health commissioner, Prof. Akin Abayomi in his briefing on Sunday, 18 April 2020.

    A close analysis of the confirmed cases reveal that some of those infected do not have any travel history (local or foreign) or close contact with an infected person. To paint a clearer picture of the worsening situation, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu said 26% of the total COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, as at Wednesday, April 22, were untraceable to any source. In other words, Nigeria’s coronavirus situation is now gradually moving to a communal infection stage, starting from Lagos.

    TNG reports that on Friday, April 24, Nigeria surpassed 1000 confirmed COVID-19 cases with Lagos accounting for 657 of the cases according to the latest data released by the NCDC.

    We might have to be more strict in enforcing stay-at-home order – Official

    Worried by the increasing numbers and obvious disregard for the stay-at-home presidential directives, the state government which has received accolades from far and near on its early handling of the pandemic is considering more strict approaches in enforcing the preventive directives.

    “Yes, we have been on our toes since the first case surfaced but it seems a section of the populace are still nursing the ignorant belief that the whole COVID-19 thing is a set up or scam. The recent high and low profile deaths in Nigeria and around the world should have cleared their doubts but I wonder why this category of people chose to be ignorantly stubborn. We won’t fold our arms and allow these few ignorant people ruin the lives of the majority who have been law abiding and alert since the outbreak of the deadly virus in Lagos,” a top government official who spoke anonymously said.

    Asked if the facilities and health workers were overwhelmed with the increasing cases, he said: “They are not. We are lucky to have a governor who has demonstrated leadership by example from his first day in office. Governor Sanwo-Olu and other top government officials have been leading with good examples. They are not going to sleep while asking the health workers to face the hazards alone. You can see the governor already approved a 400% increase in the hazard allowance of all health workers in the state for the month of April.

    The workers are highly motivated and professional in discharging their duties at this crucial time. The state is also building more isolation centres. Soon, all the local governments and LCDAs will have one like the sample collection centres that are now widespread in the state. The governor commissioned that of Eti-Osa on Wednesday. So I’ll say the state is equal to the task. And we are also appealing to the public to inform appropriate authorities whenever they notice symptoms of the virus. They should also endeavour to stay home to reduce the chances of contacting the virus.”

    Why it’s impossible for us to stay home – residents

    Meanwhile, some residents have explained why the stay-at-home order might not work for them despite the risks of contacting the virus. Many of them insisted that their survival depended on their daily hustles and the palliatives announced by both government and private coalitions have not gotten to them.

    ‘You can’t ask me to stay at home when you have not mapped out my survival plans. I am neither a civil servant nor a salary earner. I gave up hopes of securing a job long ago when I roamed the streets of Lagos for years searching for a job that never existed. I acquired new skills and have since become my own boss and even helped others along the line. I work everyday including Sundays. That is my only hope of survival. If you want me to stay at home, then you must priotise my feeding and that of my family. I stayed home for close to one week and exhausted all that I had in savings. Since then, its been extremely difficult putting food on the table. My wife and children are not happy because there is no food and money. I feel worthless as a man, husband and father. The government should take care of my primary needs and I will gladly stay at home. Hunger kills faster than any virus no matter how deadly,’ Taiye, an educated and popular artisan said.

    ‘Oga nobody is happy running everywhere looking for money. It is responsibilities and the fear of hunger that makes it look like people are disobedient or stubborn. And that is why some desperate ones even resort to stealing. I know the dangers of moving around in a lockdown especially during a pandemic but our governments are simply not helping matters. I’ve not received a dime from anyone since the beginning of the lockdown. Families and friends are not willing to help because they are facing same challenges too. So how do I keep my integrity and still feed and cater for basic needs if I just sit at home doing nothing?,’ another resident curiously asked.

    While it is not clear how the state government can make its teeming low income residents stay home and observe social distancing if they must step out, however a much more effective palliative distribution can prove effective. People tend to be more relaxed and law abiding during crisis when the burden of what to eat is lifted off their shoulders.

  • BREAKING: Nigeria hits 1095 COVID-19 cases

    BREAKING: Nigeria hits 1095 COVID-19 cases

    Nigeria has recorded 114 new cases of COVID-19, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced.

    NCDC, on its verified twitter handle on Friday evening, said 80 of the new cases are in Lagos, 21 in Gombe, five in FCT, two in Zamfara, two in Edo, one in Ogun, one in Oyo, one in Kaduna, one in Sokoto

    With them, Nigeria has 1095 cases of COVID-19 cases with 32 deaths.

    According to NCDC, “As at 24th April, Nigeria has recorded #COVID19 confirmed cases in 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory… In the last 24 hours, number of new cases increased by 114. Number of deaths increased by 1. Five cases previously recorded in Lagos, are now recorded as Ogun state cases”