TheNewsGuru

Tag: COVID-19

  • UNGA 76: Niger says climate change is another pandemic with devastating effects

    UNGA 76: Niger says climate change is another pandemic with devastating effects

    Apart from disastrous economic consequences, the COVID-19 pandemic has also amplified the climate and security crisis in the Sahel, said Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs during the country’s turn to speak at the UN General Assembly.

    Hassoumi Massoudou highlighted that his country and region are suffering recurrent droughts and flooding, as well as locust infestations and the annual loss of thousands of hectares of agricultural land due to degradation.

    Citing recent words of President Mohamed Bazoum, he said to win the fight against climate change, the world needs more political will.

    “It is the hope of Niger that COP26 in Glasgow will serve as a framework to reaffirm political will to battle the effects of climate change,” he said, noting that some of the big hurdles include finance and technology transfer for developing countries.

    As a current non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the Foreign Minister noted that his nation is co-chairing with Ireland an expert group that aims to adopt a resolution regarding the climate crisis.

    “It is our conviction that fragility linked to climate change is an aggravating factor in conflicts and humanitarian crises,” he said.

    Massoudou added that Niger understood this correlation clearly since it currently finds itself surrounded by “hotbeds of instability” and facing the attacks of “terrorist hordes”.

    He said, however, that despite the size of their country and the lack of resources, Niger has shown itself to be resilient by safeguarding its territorial integrity and stability.

    This was due to the foresight of Niger’s Government, the courage and determination of its Defense and Security Forces and the invaluable support of bilateral partners such as multilateral organizations, he explained, extending “sincere thanks” for such efforts.

    The Foreign Minister also informed the Assembly that as part of a pilot programme last June, Niger had been able to return almost 6,000 people to their homes after six years of displacement.

    “We also aim to eventually repatriate around 130,000 displaced people from Diffa to Borno state in Nigeria,” he stated.

    Massoudou said his Government remained convinced that terrorism and organised crime were the consequences of other ongoing challenges that must be overcome, especially poverty and inequality.

    “It is not only military actions that will allow us to definitively defeat terrorism, but also our ability to implement development programmes and meet the essential needs of our populations,” he emphasised.

    The Foreign Minister said that while 2021 continued to be shadowed by COVID-19, the year has been a turning point for the consolidation of democracy in his country.

    “Niger was able to succeed in the first peaceful political transfer of power from one elected president to another,” he explained.

    Massoudou called on the international community to show the same disposition it had in the fight against COVID-19 to tackle other challenges such as climate change, “another pandemic with devastating effects”.

    “In Niger, we believe that our commitment to the defense of ideals of the [UN] Charter and the values of peace, solidarity that it embodies, will allow us to carry out this fight in order to build a world of peace, justice, and prosperity,” he said

  • COVID-19: Nigeria records three new deaths, 477 cases in 24 hours

    COVID-19: Nigeria records three new deaths, 477 cases in 24 hours

    Nigeria has recorded three more deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic with 477 fresh cases in the last 24 hours.

    In its latest update on Friday night, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said the cases were reported in Lagos, 16 other states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The data indicates that Nigeria’s total infection from the pandemic currently stands at 203,991 while the fatality toll increased to 2,671

    It also noted that four states- Nasarawa, Ondo, Osun and Sokoto – recorded no fresh cases.

    The breakdown shows that Lagos remains the nation’s epicentre of the virus with 113 more cases on the log on Friday, followed by Rivers with 79 new infections and the FCT coming third with 68 cases.

    In Nigeria’s South-south region, Delta had (37), Akwa Ibom (9), Cross River (7), Edo (6), and Bayelsa (2) respectively.

    Other states with fresh cases include Kaduna – 68, Abia – 36, Oyo – 16, Benue – 12, Plateau – 9, Ekiti – 6, Katsina – 4, Jigawa – 3, Ogun – 1 and Yobe – 1.

  • Man fakes positive COVID-19 test to avoid work

    Man fakes positive COVID-19 test to avoid work

    A 41-year-old man in central Vietnam has been fined 327 dollars for faking a positive Coronavirus (COVID-19) test so he could avoid going to work, state media said on Tuesday.

    Police in Dak Nong province in Vietnam’s central highlands region said on Sunday that the man, who remains unnamed, was fined for spreading false information.

    His ‘positive’ test result sparked concern among local health officials, yet subsequent testing of the man produced negative results.

    An investigation found that the man, who worked for a local telecommunication company, had been asked to carry out routine testing for the Coronavirus.

    The man after he received a negative test result chose to forge a positive result to avoid going back to work.

    In Vietnam, people caught spreading misleading information about the pandemic that causes distress among the community may be fined by local officials while those caught spreading COVID-19 may be imprisoned.

    In early September, police issued a 210 dollar fine to a woman in Ho Chi Minh City for sharing criticism of the government’s handling of the pandemic on Facebook.

    On Sept. 6, a court in Vietnam sentenced the man to five years in prison for spreading Coronavirus.

    Since the start of the pandemic, Vietnam had reported more than 680,000 cases of Coronavirus and more than 17,000 deaths.

  • Chris Rock tests positive for COVID-19

    Chris Rock tests positive for COVID-19

    Popular American actor and comedian, Chris Rock has said that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

    The 56-year-old broke the news on his Twitter page in the late hours of Sunday. He also urged his followers to get vaccinated against the virus.

    “Hey guys I just found out I have COVID, trust me you don’t want this. Get vaccinated,” he told his 5.2 million followers.

    Rock had earlier said that he got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

    “This is my first Covid talk show and I’m vaccinated. I’m 2 shot Rock, that’s what they call me,” the stand-up comedian had said in May when he appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show.

    “I got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine though. It is the food stamp of the vaccine.”

    TheNewsGuru recalls that In 1984, Rock began his career as a stand-up comedian in New York. He started pulling strings of fame after he earned roles in the film ‘I’m Gonna Git You Sucka’ and ‘Miami Vice’ a TV series.

    He finally got his big break when Eddie Murphy, another US comedian, gave him his first major film role in ‘Beverly Hills Cop 2’

    Last year, Rock, whose real name is Christopher Julius Rock, broke up with Megalyn Echikunwoke, his girlfriend, bringing an end to their four-year-old relationship.

     

  • I spent N6m treating COVID-19-Edochie’s son

    I spent N6m treating COVID-19-Edochie’s son

    Uche Edochie, son to Pete Edochie, the veteran Nigerian actor, has stated that he spent over six million naira on his recovery from COVID-19.

     

    The visual artist made this known while reflecting on the cost of accessing healthcare particularly among those infected with the novel disease in Nigeria via an Instagram post on Friday.

    Uche revealed that he contracted COVID-19 some weeks ago and originally thought he had malaria.

    The artist said when he eventually discovered it was COVID-19, the disease had damaged several parts of his body including his lungs.

    “When I fell sick weeks ago, I thought I had malaria. So I spent the first couple of weeks treating for malaria. By the time I realised this could be something else, it was too late. By the time I was rushed to the hospital, eighty percent of my lungs were damaged,” he wrote.

    “I couldn’t eat or breathe and I was on oxygen for weeks. I couldn’t walk either and had severe chest pains. I kept blacking out. It felt like I was dying and waking up over and over again. I have never seen anything like this.

    “The days turned to weeks and my recovery is going well. I am fully cured of COVID-19 now and I am able to walk a little. My lungs will take months to heal completely. So I am still on oxygen and other medications but I am back home.”

    Uche said while he has fully recovered from the disease, his experience brought to bare the high cost of accessing health care in the country.

    He said at the Lagos health facility where he was kept, the sum of N350,000 was charged daily, adding that he spent 12 days there before he was moved to another centre.

    According to him, the huge cost of getting treatment for COVID-19 is one of the reasons people with the virus die in the country.

    “Curing COVID-19 costs a fortune too and that is a problem. That is often why people die. The facility where I was treated charges N350,000 a day. I was there for twelve days before being moved to First Cardiology Centre in Ikoyi for my lung and heart rehabilitation,” he added.

    “Total cost of my treatment so far has exceeded six million naira. I know a guy whose covid treatment cost seventeen million naira.

    “Governments must invest in affordable treatment or more and more people will die. Affordable treatment is our last line of defense.

    “We have tried lock downs, masks and vaccines and COVID-19 is still spreading. Even the vaccinated are still catching COVID-19.”

     

  • COVID-19: Nigeria records two deaths, 337 new cases

    COVID-19: Nigeria records two deaths, 337 new cases

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Friday said it recorded two more deaths from the rampaging Coronavirus pandemic in the country.

    The NCDC disclosed this via its official website on Saturday morning on the rampaging pandemic in its third wave.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the additional 337 COVID-19 infections recorded on Friday represented a decrease from the 601 cases reported on Thursday.

    The NCDC pointed out that while 9,094 patients were still down with the disease, 189,608 others have been discharged so far.

    The centre noted that 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory reported the 337 new cases.

    Lagos reported 142, Rivers (32), Edo (30), Delta (25), Kwara (23), Kaduna (16), Oyo (16) and Plateau (12).

    The FCT reported 11, Akwa Ibom (10), Kano (10), Ogun (3), Ekiti (2), Gombe (2), Imo (2), and Nasarawa (1).

    The centre added that the new cases have increased Nigeria’s infection toll to 201,294, while the fatality toll now stood at 2,649.

    It added that more than 2.9 million samples had been tested for the virus out of the nation’s roughly 200 million population.

  • White House summons Nicki Minaj to discuss COVID-19 vaccine safety

    White House summons Nicki Minaj to discuss COVID-19 vaccine safety

    After superstar rapper Nicki Minaj questioned the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine in a post on Twitter this week, the White House confirmed on Wednesday that it had offered her a call with a doctor to answer questions about the safety of the vaccine, New York Times reports.

    The rapper’s remarks drew widespread attention after she said she would not attend the Met Gala on Monday because she had yet to receive the vaccine, which was required for attendees.

    “As we have with others, we offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she has about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine,” a White House official said in a statement on Wednesday night.

    Minaj appeared to believe that she was going to visit the White House. She said on Twitter on Wednesday that she would “be dressed in all pink like Legally Blonde so they know I mean business.”

    “I’ll ask questions on behalf of the people who have been made fun of for simply being human,” she added.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Minaj asserted that her cousin’s friend in Trinidad and Tobago “became impotent” after receiving the vaccine, a claim that the nation’s minister of health, Terrence Deyalsingh, rejected.

    “There has been no such reported either side effect or adverse event,” he said in a news conference online. “And what was sad about this is that it wasted our time yesterday, trying to track down, because we take all these claims seriously, whether it’s on social media or mainstream media.”

     

  • Obaseki fulfills threats, refuses civil servants with no proof of COVID-19 vaccination entry into offices

    Obaseki fulfills threats, refuses civil servants with no proof of COVID-19 vaccination entry into offices

    The Governor Godwin Obaseki led Edo State Government on Wednesday fulfilled its earlier threats of barring civil servants without proof of COVID-19 vaccination entry into their offices within the secretariat.

    True to the government’s warning, workers at the state secretariat and the 18 local government areas in the state were met with a notice asking them to show proof of their vaccinations.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the decision followed the announcement by the State Government on Tuesday that it will begin enforcing the ‘no-vaccination-no-work’ policy.

    “We have trained special teams and these special teams will be spread across the 18 local governments of Edo State.

    “What we are going to do tomorrow is to allow those who have the authentic vaccination card, access to their government working places and those without, can go back and work from home and government will know how to deal with that,” the Head of the COVID-19 Enforcement Team in the state, Haruna Yusuf, said at a briefing on Tuesday.

    This comes amid speculations that the state government is working towards making vaccination compulsory for all residents.

    However, Governor Godwin Obaseki in a statement last week described the reports as an “obvious misconception”.

    He had given residents up to the second week of September to get a vaccine or risk being barred from public places such as banks, receptions, churches and mosques.

    So far, Edo State has recorded 6,008 COVID-19 cases.

    It has also recorded the second-highest death toll in the country (215) – justifying talks about the ‘compulsory vaccination’, as part of measures to curb the spread of the virus.

  • Edo govt to civil servants: ‘No proof of Covid-19 vaccination…No entry’

    Edo govt to civil servants: ‘No proof of Covid-19 vaccination…No entry’

    The Edo state government says it will start restricting entry into government offices for unvaccinated civil servants from Wednesday.

    The state government said the move is the first phase of its enforcement of restriction on large public gatherings for persons without evidence of COVID-19 vaccination.

    Addressing journalists on Tuesday, Osamwonyi Irowa, permanent secretary, Edo ministry of health, said only those with proof of vaccination will be allowed access into government facilities.

    He said: “If you have to enter the state secretariat and other government offices, you must have your vaccination cards.

    “The first phase of the enforcement, which begins tomorrow, September 15, is targeted at state government facilities.

    “Those that cannot provide their COVID-19 vaccination cards may have to excuse us and be working from home, pending when a decision will be reached. As a state, we are doing everything possible to make sure that people don’t get infected.

    “We are appealing to our people to get vaccinated because that is the more suitable way to prevent the severity of the disease and avoid death. The enforcement teams will commence tomorrow to help us reduce the number of cases and deaths that we are recording daily.”

    Yusuf Haruna, head of the COVID-19 enforcement team, said 20 special teams have been trained to enforce the “no vaccination, no entry into government-owned facilities” plan.

    He said: “As we all know, the government has the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of citizens. In view of this, we have trained 20 special teams that will be spread across the 18 local government areas of the state.

    “They will commence this enforcement from the 15th of September, 2021. What we expect our people to do is that, while going to work, they should go with their vaccination cards. The government is not forcing anybody to take the vaccines, but it has the responsibility to tell you not to spread the virus.”

    “What we are going to do tomorrow is to grant those who have the authentic vaccination cards access to their government working places and those without the cards can go back and work from home.

    “These 20 special teams will be saddled with the responsibility of scanning and confirming the authenticity of these vacation cards and also diligently asking those who don’t have to go and work from home. This is the directive of the state government and it will be enforced to the letter.”

    So far, Edo state has recorded 1,034 cases and 53 fatalities in the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    According to the state government, 20 unvaccinated persons have died in the last four days.

  • COVID-19: Russia President Vladimir Putin proceeds on self-isolation

    COVID-19: Russia President Vladimir Putin proceeds on self-isolation

    President Vladimir Putin will self-isolate after coronavirus cases were detected in his inner circle, the Kremlin said Tuesday, as Russia struggles with stubbornly high COVID-19 infection rates.

    Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin was “absolutely healthy”.

    When asked whether Putin had taken a coronavirus test and if it was negative, Peskov replied: “Undoubtedly”.

    Putin had been due to travel to Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe for a regional summit later this week but in a call with President Emomali Rakhmon said he would not be able to attend in person.

    “Putin said that in connection with identified coronavirus cases in his circle, he will observe a self-isolation regime for a certain period of time,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

    “Self-isolation doesn’t directly affect the president’s work, there will just be no in-person events for some time,” Peskov told journalists.

    He did not specify how long the 68-year-old president will be self-isolating for and declined to say who in Putin’s entourage had tested positive.

    Later on Tuesday, Putin was due to meet with the leadership of the ruling United Russia party ahead of parliamentary polls on 17-19 September.

    It is unclear whether he will be in self-isolation throughout the election week-end.

    Russian authorities have taken exceptional measures to protect Putin — who says he has been vaccinated with Russia’s homegrown Sputnik V jab — since the start of the pandemic.

    Foreign leaders, journalists and officials have all been required to self-isolate in advance of being in contact with Putin and a disinfection tunnel was installed at his residence outside Moscow.

    The Russian leader said in late June that he was vaccinated with Sputnik after months of secrecy around the issue, but the Kremlin did not show images of the inoculation.

    In recent months, the longtime Russian leader had resumed his work trips and face-to-face meetings, but many of his contacts are still required to spend two weeks in quarantine.

    Putin on Monday met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and with Russian athletes returning from the Tokyo Paralympic Games.