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Tag: COVID-19

  • FG spends N2.3trn to cushion effect of COVID-19 – Minister

    FG spends N2.3trn to cushion effect of COVID-19 – Minister

    The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba, said the federal government had spent N2.3 trillion as stimulus package to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

    Agba said this at a three-day 4th National Treasury Workshop organised by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation in Uyo on Tuesday.

    The theme of the workshop is, “COVID-19 and the Global Economy: Implications on Nigeria’s National Treasury.”

    “In spite of the impact of COVID-19 and dwindling revenue from oil, our strategy was to expand government’s activities to cushion the effect of the pandemic with the total estimated stimulus package by the Federal Government of N2.3 trillion.

    “These package consisted, to a large extent, of a combination of fiscal and monetary policies, sectoral interventions, and social programmes.

    “The fiscal and monetary policies were support to states, businesses, households and individuals through grants, tax relief, payroll support, tariff reductions and direct support to the health sector.

    “The real sector interventions were focused on mass agriculture, mass housing, public works, off-grid solar power installations and support to small businesses,” Agba said.

    He said these interventions created a large number of jobs, empowered farmers and entrepreneurs, conserved foreign exchange and provided guaranteed offtake of output, especially in agriculture and housing.

    The minister added that in spite of the COVID-19 challenges, Nigeria was still the largest economy and most populous in Africa.

    Agba said the federal government would continue to provide the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country.

    He said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was committed to attracting and supporting foreign direct investments and partnerships in Nigeria.

    “The government is creating an enabling macroeconomic environment by eliminating barriers and putting in place many incentives to attract investments.

    In his remarks, Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom said the state government had set up Post COVID-19 Economic Advisory Committee made up of professionals to advise government on the way forward.

    Emmanuel was represented by his deputy, Mr Moses Ekpo.

    He said the state government had started implementing some of the committee’s recommendations like the application of ICT and other tools of technology to stimulate entrepreneurial drives amongst the people.

    “Today, even though we still have work to do, our youth have positive expressions in the use of their hands and creative abilities to create sustainable living for themselves, using technology as a means of engagement.

    “I am very hopeful that this workshop will also come up with ideas and approaches to stimulate and grow our economy in the new world trust upon us by COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

    Earlier, the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, said the workshop would provide financial shock-absorber to government on how to manage any pandemic induced financial challenges.

    Idris added the workshop would further enlighten financial managers in government on how to control aggregate cash flows within fiscal, monetary and legal limits.

    He commended the Akwa Ibom government for its support and hospitality in ensuring the success of the workshop.

  • COVID-19: NCDC announces 36 new infections Monday

    COVID-19: NCDC announces 36 new infections Monday

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said 36 new infections were announced across seven states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

    The centre however said Nigeria recorded no additional fatalities on Monday.

    The NCDC disclosed this in an update on its website on Tuesday morning.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 36 infections reported on Monday represented a decrease from 57 reported on Sunday.

    The Nigerian Public Health Institute noted that that new cases increased the country’s infection toll to 213,625, while its fatality toll stood at 2, 974.

    The agency said that a total of 206,778 people had been successfully treated and discharged in the country, noting that the FCT reported 240 new discharges, which include 236 community discharges.

    The NCDC said that Lagos State reported 21 cases on Monday, while Kano State reported four cases and the FCT and Gombe State reported three cases each.

    Niger State, recorded two cases, while the three states of Bauchi, Plateau and Rivers reported one case each.

    It, however added that two states; Delta and Sokoto, recorded no cases on Monday.

    The public health agency said that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) activated at Level 2, continued to coordinate the national response activities.

    It added the country recorded its first cases in February 2020, and by Sunday, 3,440,172 had been tested so far.

  • Delta variant still dominant COVID in Nigeria – NCDC

    Delta variant still dominant COVID in Nigeria – NCDC

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the Delta variant continues to be the dominant strain of Coronavirus in the country.

    The NCDC Director-General, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, made this known at the bi-weekly national briefing on COVID-19, in Abuja on Monday.

    Adetifa, represented by the Head of Risk Communication, Dr Yahaya Disu, said that the Delta variant overwhelmingly dominated the isolation centres in the country.

    According to him, countries in Europe have started to reintroduce restrictions and some have resulted in national demonstrations and unrest.

    “Cases have risen sharply in Austria, Netherlands, U.K, Germany and Italy.

    “We must note that these are regions with considerably high vaccination rates, however, they are seeing surges in COVID-19, leading to make vaccinations mandatory to counter transmission of the virus which unvaccinated persons pose.

    “I mention these to inform you that COVID-19 is still causing havoc in other countries and we must not take our situation for granted.

    “Rather, we must continue to use preventive measures, safeguard our health and take responsibility. We can work together as we have done in this long-haul response to COVID-19,” he said.

    The NCDC boss urged people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine if they had not, noting that it was safe, effective and would reduce the occurrences of severe diseases and deaths.

    He said that the National Primary Health Care Development Agency has continued to lead on the rollout of vaccines.

    ”Just last week, we had the national flag-off of the mass vaccination campaign and are ensuring they are safe and effective vaccines.

    “There are now strategic vaccination sites around the FCT,” he added.

    The director-general further said that the national COVID-19 emergency operations centre continued to meet weekly to coordinate on the response to the ongoing pandemic.

    “With regards to genomic surveillance, we have continued to consider the critical need to address the importation of variants and our sequencing efforts are still underway,” he said.

    Adetifa also said that laboratories were still available for COVID-19 testing, while urging Nigerians to get tested if they feel COVID-19 symptoms.

    “Do not assume symptoms may be malaria or a typical cold. We are working to strengthen COVID-19 risk communications using innovative and targeted means by listening to the public and responding effectively.

    “The team is currently collaborating on the development of a COVID-19 response sustainability plan and an intra action review to strategise on ways to reinvigorate the response,” he said.

    Dr Fatima Yusuf, Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Health said that the Port Health, Public Health Services, (PHS) had continued to heighten surveillance at lands, airports and seaports.

    “PHS screens all passengers coming into the country at the various points of entry and so far, it has screened 87,841 people in September, 74,660 in October and 8,701 in November.

    “PHS also provides traffic data on inbound passengers from all over the world and it has continued rapid diagnostic testing at the Seme and Idiroko borders.

    ”15 positive cases were detected out of 1,679 screened with 0.9 per cent positivity rate,” Yusuf said.

    The deputy director said that the positive cases recorded at the ground crossings have dropped significantly and none had been detected in the past two months.

    She noted that PHS officers were still positioned at the seaports where passengers and crew of ships were screened before berthing.

    ”So far, 138 COVID-19 positive cases have been detected in the country’s seaports and offshore platforms.

    “The positive cases detected among oil rig workers has also dropped significantly. For the past two weeks, not more than 3 cases have been detected,” she said.

    Yusuf however, added that the Nigerian International Travel Portal has transited to a new platform from October, 30.

  • COVID-19 fourth wave likely in December- Lagos

    COVID-19 fourth wave likely in December- Lagos

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, has raised the alarm that the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic may be coming up in Nigeria by December.

    Abayomi, at a news briefing on Friday, said passengers coming into the country from high-burden countries might increase the spread of the virus.

    He said, “Many Nigerians staying abroad will be returning home to celebrate Christmas with their families. Most of these people will be coming from countries where there is a heavy burden of COVID-19 and where we know the virus is changing and mutating.

    “The potential drivers of a fourth wave in Lagos and Nigeria are passengers arriving, especially from heavy-burdened countries in Europe and the United States into Lagos. About 86 per cent of all inbound flights into Nigeria come through Lagos.

    “It is only inevitable that if passengers are travelling in large numbers from these countries where they are about to experience the fourth and fifth wave, we should expect some activities in Lagos as a result of these movements. At the current rate of the response across the country, we are likely going to encounter a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2021.”

    The commissioner lamented over the low vaccination rate in Nigeria, saying many countries had vaccinated more than 50 per cent of their eligible populations.

    He stated, “The other problem we have in Lagos and Nigeria is that our rate of vaccination has been quite low; it is just below three per cent, whereas our target should be over 40 per cent. Many countries around the world have exceeded 50 per cent vaccination of the eligible population.

    “At the current rate of the response across the country, we are likely going to encounter a fourth wave of the COVID19 pandemic in December 2021. Lagos State has only vaccinated about 2.6 per cent of its population, leaving it susceptible to a fourth wave.”

    He said that fully vaccinated persons with a vaccine breakthrough infection were less likely to develop serious illness and get COVID-19 than the unvaccinated.

     

  • Europe hits highest weekly COVID-19 cases since pandemic began -WHO

    Europe hits highest weekly COVID-19 cases since pandemic began -WHO

    Almost two million cases of COVID-19 were reported in Europe last week, the most in a single week in that region since the pandemic started, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    Almost 27,000 deaths were reported in the continent last week, more than half of all COVID-19 deaths globally.

    Speaking to journalists in Geneva, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, explained that the virus was not only surging in countries with lower vaccination rates in Eastern Europe, but also in nations with some of the world’s highest vaccination rates in Western Europe.

    “It’s another reminder, as we have said again and again, that vaccines do not replace the need for other precautions.

    “Vaccines reduce the risk of hospitalisation, severe disease and death, but they do not fully prevent transmission,” he said.

    WHO continues to recommend the proportionate use of testing, masks, physical distancing, improved ventilation, and other measures.

    “With the right mix of measures, it’s possible for countries to find the balance between keeping transmission down and keeping their societies and economies open.

    “No country can simply vaccinate its way out of the pandemic,” Ghebreyesus said.

    According to the WHO chief, “it makes no sense” to give boosters to healthy adults, or to vaccinate children, when health workers, older people and other high-risk groups around the world are still waiting for their first dose.

    Every day, there are six times more boosters administered globally than primary doses in low-income countries, which he described as “a scandal that must stop now”.

    The WHO chief also provided an update on COVAX, the UN-led worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to vaccines.

    The tool has now shipped almost 500 million vaccines to 144 countries and territories. And with exception of Eritrea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, all States have begun vaccinating.

    “The vast majority of countries are ready to get doses into arms, but they need the doses,” he said.

    To reach the target of vaccinating 40 per cent of every country’s population by the end of this year, 550 million doses more are needed – about 10 days’ worth of production.

    The pandemic has had effects on other vaccination campaigns, Ghebreyesus explained.

    A report by WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released this week, shows that more than 22 million infants missed their first dose of measles vaccine last year – three million more than in 2019 – marking the largest increase in two decades.

    A total of 24 measles vaccination campaigns in 23 countries were postponed because of the pandemic, leaving more than 93 million people at risk.

    Compared with 2019, however, reported cases decreased by more than 80 per cent.

    “But this decrease is cause for concern, not celebration,’’ he said, explaining that measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 may have contributed, noting that lab specimens sent for testing were the lowest in a decade.

    “The drop in vaccination, combined with weak monitoring, testing and reporting, create the ideal conditions for explosive outbreaks of measles,” he said. (NAN)

  • White House announces President Biden’s COVID-19 test result after spokesperson tested positive

    White House announces President Biden’s COVID-19 test result after spokesperson tested positive

    US President Joe Biden has tested negative for Covid-19 in the wake of his chief spokeswoman testing positive, the White House said Monday.

    The “president was tested as well, a PCR test yesterday, and he tested negative,” Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One, on the way to the UN climate summit in Glasgow.

    Jean-Pierre said Biden’s test on Sunday was not in response to news of the positive result for Press Secretary Jen Psaki, but was done “independently” and was “required for entering the UK.”

    Psaki, who has frequent access to Biden in the White House, pulled out of his trip to Rome for a G20 summit and the following Glasgow event after family members tested positive for Covid-19.

    On Sunday she said that after testing negative all week, she had just had a positive result.

    However, she said she had not had “close contact” with Biden or other senior White House staff since her family’s first positive results.

    Biden, 78, has been vaccinated and also received a booster shot.

  • COVID-19: NCDC reports 120 additional infections, 3 deaths, as of Oct. 29, 2021

    COVID-19: NCDC reports 120 additional infections, 3 deaths, as of Oct. 29, 2021

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has reported 120 additional infections of COVID-19 from 10 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with three related deaths as of Oct. 29, 2021.

    The NCDC disclosed this in its daily COVID-19 report on Saturday morning .

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 120 additional cases reported on Friday, indicate a decrease from the 182 cases reported the previous day.

    The Public Health Agency stated that the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country has reached 211,798 with 202,962 cases discharged and a total number of 2,895 deaths recorded in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    According to it, 120 new cases are reported from 11 States – FCT (26), Imo (25), Lagos (23), Rivers (17), Osun (15), Kano (5), Gombe (3), Edo (2), Ekiti (2), Bayelsa (1) and Delta (1).

    It noted that the latest report includes 21 discharged cases reported from Imo state for Oct. 29, 2021, (community discharges).

    The agency added that three states with zero cases were; Ogun, Ondo and Sokoto.

    The NCDC noted that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 2, continues to coordinate the national response activities.

    It added that there were currently 5,814 active coronavirus cases in the country while a total of 3,298,966 blood samples have been tested since the pandemic began across the country.

    Meanwhile, about 2.7 per cent of eligible population have been vaccinated in the country as of Oct. 28. 2021, and only 2.7 per cent of the 110 million eligible Nigerian population have been vaccinated while about 5 per cent of the population have received their first dose.

    NAN recalls that the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) plans to vaccinate all eligible 111,776,503 Nigerians (18 years and above) with safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines over the next two years across the country.

    Nigeria commenced a nationwide phase 1 COVID-19 vaccination campaign on March 5, 2021, in all the 36 States and the FCT, targeting health and other front-line workers with potent COVID-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and certified by NAFDAC.

  • JUST IN: US announces new COVID-19 travel rules, effective from Nov 8

    JUST IN: US announces new COVID-19 travel rules, effective from Nov 8

    The United States (US) has announced and released new COVID-19 travelling rules.

    The new rule stipulates that air travellers entering the country would have to to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status before boarding.

    The new global travel system takes effect from November 8, 2021, replacing the existing country-by-country restrictions, putting in place a consistent approach worldwide.

    Under the new rules, the US government do not expect foreign national travellers who had been in one of the 33 countries with restrictions to obtain national interest exceptions to travel to the US.

    According to a statement titled: ‘New vaccine requirements for travel to the United States starting November 8, 2021,’ the US Centre for Disease Control said for the purposes of entry, vaccines accepted will include those approved or authorised by the Food and Drugs Administration as well as vaccines with an emergency use listing from the World Health Organisation.

    The statement reads: “Beginning on November 8, foreign national air travelers to the United States will be required – with only limited exceptions– to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the United States.

    “This new global travel system replaces the existing country-by-country restrictions, putting in place a consistent approach worldwide.

    “With the implementation of these new vaccine requirements, foreign national travelers who have been in one of the 33 countries with restrictions do not need to obtain national interest exceptions in order to travel to the United States.

    “The CDC has determined that for the purposes of entry into the United States, vaccines accepted will include those FDA approved or authorized, as well as vaccines with an emergency use listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization (WHO).

    “When it comes to testing, fully vaccinated air travelers will continue to be required to show documentation of a pre-departure negative viral test taken within three calendar days of travel to the United States before boarding.

    “That includes all travelers – U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), and foreign nationals. For example, if a vaccinated traveler is traveling to the United States on Saturday, they can test from Wednesday on.

    “To further strengthen protections, unvaccinated travelers – whether U.S. citizens, LPRs, or the small number of excepted unvaccinated foreign nationals – will now need to show proof of a negative test within one calendar day of travel to the United States.”

  • EPL to relax COVID-19 rules once vaccine rate reaches 85%

    EPL to relax COVID-19 rules once vaccine rate reaches 85%

    The Premier League in England will relax coronavirus restrictions imposed on clubs when the number of players with double vaccination reaches 85 per cent.

    The governing body of the English Premier League (EPL) had confirmed last week that 68 per cent of players were fully vaccinated.

    It had also said 81 per cent had received at least one jab.

    Club doctors were informed of the league’s intentions at a meeting on Oct. 21, but future guidelines will depend on a possible increase of coronavirus cases over the winter period.

    Uptake of the vaccine among professional footballers has been debated at length, with several England internationals opting not to discuss their status earlier this month.

    The latest figures released by the league are that 19 per cent of players have yet to receive their first jab.

    They confirm that the sport now has a similar uptake to the 18 to 39-year-old average across the UK.

    Four new positive coronavirus cases were recorded from last week’s Premier League testing programme and six positives were recorded in the previous week’s results.

    Clubs have had stringent COVID-related rules imposed at their training grounds and stadiums over the past 18 months to allow football to continue during the pandemic

  • COVID-19 impact on jobs worse than expected- ILO

    COVID-19 impact on jobs worse than expected- ILO

    Jobs recovery is stalled worldwide, and disparities between advanced and developing economies are threatening the whole global economy, the International Labour Organisation warned on Wednesday.

    The agency is projecting that global hours worked this year will be 4.3 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, the equivalent of 125 million full-time jobs. This is a dramatic revision of the projection made in June of 3.5 per cent or 100 million full-time jobs.

    The eighth edition of the ILO Monitor, ‘COVID-19 and the world of work’, also warned of a “great divergence” between developed and developing countries, saying it will persist without concrete financial and technical support.

    In the third quarter of 2021, total hours worked in high-income countries were 3.6 per cent lower than the fourth quarter of 2019, before the pandemic hit.

    By distinction, the gap in low-income countries stood at 5.7 per cent and in lower-middle-income countries at 7.3 per cent.

    From a regional perspective, Europe and Central Asia experienced the smallest loss in hours, around 2.5 per cent. Asia and the Pacific followed this at 4.6 per cent.

    Africa, the Americas and the Arab states showed declines of 5.6, 5.4 and 6.5 per cent respectively. This great divergence is largely driven by major differences in the roll-out of vaccinations and fiscal stimulus packages.

    Estimates indicate that for every 14 persons fully vaccinated in the second quarter of 2021, one full-time equivalent job was added to the global labour market. This substantially boosted the recovery.

    In the absence of any vaccines, globally, the loss in hours worked would have stood at six per cent in the second quarter of 2021, rather than the 4.8 per cent recorded.

    The highly uneven vaccine rollout means that the effect was largest in high-income countries, negligible in lower-middle-income countries and almost zero in low-income countries.

    According to ILO, the imbalances could be rapidly addressed through greater global solidarity in respect of vaccines. The agency estimated that if low-income countries had more equitable access to vaccines, working-hour recovery would catch up with richer economies in just over one quarter.

    Fiscal stimulus continued to be the other key factor in the trajectories of recovery. However, the gap remains largely unaddressed, with around 86 per cent of all measures concentrated in high-income countries.

    On average, an increase in the fiscal stimulus of one per cent of annual GDP increased annual working hours by 0.3 percentage points relative to the last quarter of 2019.

    The disaster has also impacted productivity, leading to greater disparities. The productivity gap between advanced and developing countries is projected to widen to the highest level since 2005.

    ILO director-general, Guy Ryder, highlighted the unequal vaccine distribution and fiscal capacities saying that “both need to be addressed urgently.”

    He pointed to the Global Call to Action for a human-centred COVID-19 recovery, a roadmap adopted last year by the International Labour Conference that commits countries to ensure that their recovery is fully inclusive, sustainable and resilient.

    “It is time to implement this roadmap, which is fully aligned with and supports the UN’s Common Agenda and its Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection,” Mr Ryder said.