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Tag: Isolation

  • JUST IN: Gov. Ikpeazu goes into isolation after death of Commissioner

    Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has directed members of his inter-ministerial committee on COVID-19, who came in contact with late Dr Solomon Ogunji to undergo test and self-isolate.

    The directive is contained in a statement signed by Chief Okeiyi Kalu, Abia State Commissioner for Information and made available to newsmen on Monday in Umuahia.

    Ogunji was the State Commissioner for Environment before his death on May 24.

    Kalu said the family of the late Commissioner, suspected to have died of hypertension on May 24, was tested for COVID-19 and the result came back positive.

    He said the governor had advised Abia Exco members who had contact with Ogunji, before his death, to also observe self-isolation until they had been tested for the virus.

    “Gov. Ikpeazu, who is still in mourning will also subject himself to all other necessary protocols as he has directed his cabinet members, including the Deputy Governor, to do.

    “We wish to call on all Abians to continue to observe relevant regulations issued by the government and health authorities to stem the spread of the disease,’’ the statement read in part.

  • We never promised Obaseki automatic ticket – APC

    We never promised Obaseki automatic ticket – APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state loyal to the National Chairman of to Parry, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed claims by former National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, that Governor Godwin Obaseki was promised an automatic ticket as part of reconciliation in the state chapter of the party.

    The faction said it was evident the Edo APC primaries will be free and fair, adding that the former Chairman should have informed the world those he claimed to be working against the interest of the party.

    Publicity Secretary of the party, Chris Azebamwan, in a statement in Abuja, declared such meeting never took place.

    He said that if such a meeting took place and decision arrived at, there would have been no need to set up the National Reconciliation Committee headed by Chief Bisi Akande.

    According to him: “We are constrained to respond to statements credited to Chief John Odigie-Oyegun at page 8 of The Nation newspaper of today, 21st May 2020 and his full-page advert on the same subject at page 10.

    “It is not in our character, upbringing or culture to take an elder to task. Especially an elder with the towering stature and credentials of Pa John Odigie-Oyegun who retired as a Federal Super-Permanent Secretary, has been a State Governor and served National Chairman of a major political party. He celebrated his 80th birthday recently, and we wish him many more years of service to the nation.

    “Against this background, one is at loss to understand why Chief Odigie-Oyegun would make utterances that portray him as a mouthpiece or hireling of Godwin Obaseki. That the forthcoming primaries in Edo State would be credible is not in doubt.

    “It is neither desirable, nor in the interest of anyone to compromise the process, and in so doing, give room for the Courts to intervene and upturn the results. The leadership of APC is determined to conduct credible primaries. In addition, one would have expected Chief Odigie-Oyegun to name or identify those he claims are contriving a crisis in Edo State.

    “The more worrisome part of Pa Odigie-Oyegun’s outburst is his claim that as part of the reconciliation process, an automatic ticket was promised to Godwin Obaseki. To the best of my knowledge, Chief Odigie-Oyegun was not at the meeting where reconciliation was discussed. He is no longer a principal officer of the APC, and is in no position therefore, to lay claims to the inner workings of the party.

    “One wonders why the National Reconciliation Committee headed by Chief Bisi Akande would have needed to be set up, if positions had been taken on crucial issues like the ticket for Edo State governorship elections.

    “We operate a democratic dispensation and Pa Odigie-Oyegun should allow the process throw up the best man for the job instead of attempting to throw a spanner in the works by promoting his personal opinions and the desperate ambitions of Godwin Obaseki as decisions or resolutions of our party leadership.

    “He is an elder statesmen and should not allow himself to be dragged into the fray. That would be a tragic fall from the high pedestal to which we are accustomed to place him.”

  • NNPC, CBN agree to fund hotel, feeding expenses of Nigerian evacuees while in isolation – Onyeama

    NNPC, CBN agree to fund hotel, feeding expenses of Nigerian evacuees while in isolation – Onyeama

    The Federal Government has said it has secured funding for the hotel and feeding expenses of Nigerian evacuees while on compulsory 14-day isolation in Nigeria.

    This was revealed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama during the Presidential Task Force briefing on Monday.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports that the federal government had last week unveiled a new policy that requires Nigerians stranded abroad to offset their two-week quarantine bill as a prerequisite for possible evacuation.

    Before now, the returnees were only required to pay for their flight while the government took care of their two weeks stay in isolation.

    The government said it imposed the fees “due to measures that are beyond the control of COVID-19 local organizing team.”

    The new directive was revealed in a letter to the evacuees signed by the Head of Chancery, Nigerian Mission in Thailand, Nicholas Uhomoibhi, and dated May 14, 2020.

    However, the announcement did not go down with Nigerians who insisted that government must fund the hotel and feeding bills of the evacuees while in isolation.

    In what appears like a total submissiveness to the demand of Nigerians, the minister said he discussed with his colleague in Ministry of Environment, Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar who suggested that the ministry partner with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) because they have corporate and social responsibility.

    Onyeama said the governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele agreed to help but also sounded a note of concern that the amount that will be needed to cater for the Nigerian evacuees will be over a billion naira considering there are over 4,000 Nigerians that need to be evacuated.

    Emefiele according to the minister of foreign affairs said he was ready to share the cost with the NNPC to ensure something is done about the situation.

    The minister also noted the General Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, promised to partner with the CBN governor to fund the accommodation and feeding of the returnees.

  • Bundesliga teams in isolation ahead of season restart

    Bundesliga teams in isolation ahead of season restart

    German soccer teams started the week in isolation on Monday after going into seven-day quarantine ahead of the Bundesliga season restart on Saturday.

    Club bosses all said that completing the campaign amid the coronavirus outbreak will not be easy.

    The German Football League (DFL) decided last week to resume the first and second division from May 16 after a two-month suspension, making it the first major sports league to attempt a restart.

    Teams have been sent into mandatory seven-day isolation after testing for the virus in order to reduce the risk of infection before playing in empty stadiums with only a handful of staff and officials, to help prevent the spread of the virus.

    Several clubs, including champions Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and VfL Wolfsburg, have picked hotels in their cities to cut travel times to training locations and airports for the weekend matches.

    Others like Schalke 04, who face Dortmund in the Ruhr valley derby, and Borussia Moenchengladbach are using hotels at their stadiums.

    Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin have moved to more isolated hotels in the countryside, as have bottom club Paderborn who will spend the week in a nearby thermal springs town.

    Players and staff wore face masks as they departed for hotels where distance between tables at team lunches and dinners will become routine, as will single rooms where players will make their own beds to reduce unnecessary contact with other people.

    Plans to restart, however, suffered a setback on Saturday after the entire team of second tier Dynamo Dresden was placed in two-week quarantine following two positive coronavirus tests.

    “We always expected that the remainder of this season will not be trouble-free,” Borussia Dortmund Chief Executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told the Funke media group.

    “These tests and results are also a sign of our transparency.”

    The league, desperate to complete the season by June 30, has drawn up a detailed set of regulations for training and matches, including stringent testing that helped it get the government’s green light to restart.

    But with the virus far from gone in Germany where almost 170,000 people have been infected and over 7,400 have died, the DFL is concerned any positive virus cases could seriously damage chances of finishing the season, and inflict potentially “existence-threatening” financial damage to some clubs.

    “I expect everyone now to live up to their responsibilities,” DFL CEO Christian Seifert said at the weekend.

  • NCDC Officials flee Kogi State to avoid being tested for COVID-19

    NCDC Officials flee Kogi State to avoid being tested for COVID-19

    The official of the National Centre for Disease Control NCDC, Dr Andrew Noah ordered to be isolated by the Kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello have fled the state to avoid being subjected to COVID-19 test.

    This was disclosed Thursday night by the State Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo in a statement issued late Thursday night.

    Governor Bello had ordered the leader of the NCDC delegation to proceed on isolation for shaking hands with the Director of Protocol, Sunday Ayenibe after taking the microphone from him.

    The governor had also explained that Dr Andrew had contravened the rules and regulations of NCDC and so should be tested for COVID-19 since he was coming from the epicenter of the disease.

    “It was drama today at the Kogi State Government House as officials of the National Center for Disease Control sent to ascertain the COVID-19 status flee the state ” Fanwo stated.

    It would be recalled that Kogi is one of the two states that are yet to record a single COVID-19 case in the federation.

    “The Officials of the NCDC said they were sent to the State to assist the state in responding to the challenges posed by the pandemic.

    “The Officials said they were not ready to be tested for COVID-19 and went back to Abuja.

    He said that why the NCDC Officials feared being tested was a matter of concern to the Government of Kogi State.

    The Commissioner said that NCDC should come hard on its Officials for violating its rules.

    “Today, the Governor showed the statesmanship in him once again by appreciating the support of the NCDC and defending the health interests of his people.

    “NCDC quarantined the Chinese professionals that came to give them technical support and also took their samples for test. It is a normal practice and protocol set by NCDC.

    “So NCDC will have a lot to explain as to why its officials refused to test for COVID-19. How can we be sure of their status? What are their fears? Why did NCDC sent people who are afraid of test to our State? What was their intention?

    “The officials that came have done an integrity blow to the works of the NCDC. Is there something they are hiding? It is time NCDC opened up and apologize to the good people of Kogi State.

    “How will they encourage people to test when its own officials are afraid of the test? This is sad”.Fanwo noted.

  • COVID-19: FG orders Police to secure all isolation centres across Nigeria

    COVID-19: FG orders Police to secure all isolation centres across Nigeria

    The Presidential Task Force on the Control COVID-19 said the reported cases of people absconding from isolation centres is unhealthy for the fight against spread of the disease in the country.

    Addressing journalists in Abuja Thursday, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and chairman of the Presidential Task Force, Mr Boss Mustapha, said such practice would put the lives of care-managers, frontline workers and other citizens at risk.

    He said there was the need for state governments to provide adequate security in and around isolation facilities to prevent escape.

    “The PTF has become aware of a number of challenges associated with management of the isolation centres.

    These have manifested in the form of protests over welfare, patients absconding from centres and loud complaints based on the assumption by persons under observation, that drugs must be administered.

    “The first two are unhealthy developments capable of undermining the containment measures and putting the lives of care managers and frontline workers at risk. Similarly, persons in isolation are encouraged to follow the direction and instructions of the experts during their stay as treatment to be administered would largely depend on the evaluation of the doctor.

    “We however urge all state governments to continue to pay attention to the welfare of people in isolation and for security agencies to provide adequate security around such facilities to prevent escape,” he said.

    The SGF said the current fight against COVID-19 was like a war, hence the need for all to resist attempts by few individuals or groups to endanger the lives of others.
    “It is important to remember that this is a war in which every Nigerian is a combatant and must resist any effort by a few individuals or groups, to endanger our collective survival,” he said.

    He said reports from various parts of the country indicate “high level of non-compliance with the ban on inter-state travels,” stressing that there was the need for Nigerians to continue to comply with the guidelines issued under phase one of the eased restrictions.

    “These are unusual times and the seemingly calm atmosphere should not be construed as a return to normalcy. Non-compliance is manifesting in several ways and could be costly in the future.”
    He regretted that reports from various parts of the country showed a high level of non-compliance with the ban on inter-state travels.

    “This resulted in a high number of vehicles finding their way across many state borders despite the curfew/border restrictions; Lack of respect for timing and the curfew also resulted in heavy traffic gridlock where many motorists spent the night following the enforcement of the curfew; Increasing level of abuse of exemption granted to vehicles conveying specified goods.

    “Reports across the country show that they continue to hide passengers with the intention of ferrying them across state boundaries; and Continual transportation of Almajiris across state borders is still evident.

    “I have highlighted the foregoing as it relates to the road transportation sector to underscore the dangers inherent in the seeding of the virus across states. I however commend the security agencies for their vigilance in apprehending and prosecuting violators.
    “It is, worrisome, however, to note reports received about isolated cases of compromise by some security operatives. We urge the various commands of the security agencies to enhance their monitoring machinery to ensure that we do not only achieve the objective of stopping the spread of the virus but also prevent the good name of the services from being tarnished,” he said.

    He also called on Nigerians to alert the security agencies whenever they witness the violation of the stipulated guidelines.
    The SGF also spoke on the reported cases of inventions and cures related to COVID-19 in and outside the country.
    “The PTF, as part of its mandate, remains supportive of and receptive to outcomes of research. It however finds it imperative to re-iterate its position on the need for such discoveries to undergo the scientific validation processes.

    “The PTF is aware that the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Department, of the Federal Ministry of Health, has been evaluating such claims and forwarded some that have met the preliminary requirements to the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to carry out the necessary procedures for listing,” he said.
    The SGF also told journalists that the Nigerian Institute of Architects has conveyed the commitment of its members in all states of the federation to offer free consultancy services (design, remodeling, supervision etc) for COVID-19 related infrastructure such as isolation centres, test laboratories and upgrading of health facilities.

  • Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello, orders visiting NCDC officials to go on 14-day Isolation

    Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello, orders visiting NCDC officials to go on 14-day Isolation

    Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, has ordered visiting officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to go into isolation at a quarantine centre for 14 days.

    Bello gave the directive on Thursday night when the NCDC officials led by Dr Andrew Noah showed up at the Government House, in Lokoja, the state capital.

    The agency had sent a delegation of rapid response team to ascertain the true status of Kogi as a COVID-19-free state.

    The governor said that the step was to ensure that the laid down procedure of checkmating the scourge by NCDC was strictly followed.

    Presenting a letter titled: “Deployment of Rapid Response Squad to help in fighting COVID-19,” Dr Noah explained that the mission of the NCDC was to provide logistics to all states of the federation of which Kogi could not be left out.

    He said two members of the team would be left behind to help the state and support efforts already in place.

    Speaking shortly after receiving the letter, Bello outlined steps taken so far by the state to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He then asked that the NCDC officials be subjected to testing and isolated in the state quarantine centre or leave the state immediately if they refused.

  • Coronavirus: Buhari’s daughter steps out of isolation after 14 days [Photo]

    Coronavirus: Buhari’s daughter steps out of isolation after 14 days [Photo]

    One of the daughters of President Muhammadu Buhari has stepped out of isolation after spending 14 days to prevent spread of coronavirus.

    Buhari’s daughter, who returned from the UK went into isolation immediately in line with guidelines laid down by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.

    Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari revealed this on Thursday on her twitter handle.

    According to Aisha, it was a thing of joy and gratitude to God to reunite with her daughter after she went into isolation 14 days ago.

    “It is a thing of joy & gratitude to Almighty God to reunite with my daughter after she had been in isolation for 14 days immediately she landed in Nigeria.

    “While I’m wishing all those infected for a speedy recovery, I pray for the end of this pandemic,” she tweeted.

    Aisha had revealed on March 19 that her daughter had gone into self-isolation after arriving from the United Kingdom due to raging Coronavirus pandemic.

    She said her daughter returned from the UK being among the burden countries of Coronavirus and placed herself on self-isolation even though she did not develop any symptoms of the disease.

    “Good afternoon Nigerians, earlier today my daughter returned from the UK being among the high Burden listed countries of COVID-19.

    “Based on the advice of the Hon. Minister Of Health , Presidential Task force on COVID – 19 and that of NCDC, she is on Self Isolation, not because she displayed any symptoms of the Covid-19,” she said.

     

  • Coronavirus: Popular Nollywood actress in self-isolation after returning from UK

    Coronavirus: Popular Nollywood actress in self-isolation after returning from UK

    Nollywood actress, Nse Ikpe-Etim has gone into self-isolation after returning from the United Kingdom.

    She disclosed this in series of tweets on Friday.

    The popular actress said even though she had no symptoms of Coronavirus, she had to self-isolate for 14 days in line with government’s approved standard.

    She wrote: “Yesterday, in the morning, I returned to Lagos from the UK – one of the countries listed as a COVID-19 hot spot by the Federal Ministry of Health.

    “I am presently in Self-Isolation according to the directives of the NCDC and in constant communication with them. So far, I have not displayed any symptoms of the Coronavirus.

    “However, I will maintain my isolation and keep people at bay till the coast is clear. I hope everyone is responsible enough to do the same.

    “Avoid public gatherings as much as you can. Wash your hands and sanitize them often. Stock up your home with essentials, while being considerate to others so they too can and most importantly, don’t panic. This too shall pass.”

  • Coronavirus: Travellers from Europe will now undergo compulsory screening, 14 days isolation – FG

    As the coronavirus spread continue to affect the aviation industry globally with governments placing travel bans on countries with high rate of the disease, the federal government on Monday said travellers coming into the country from France, Germany, and Spain would undergo a secondary screening and a self-isolation for 14 days.

    Minister of Health for State, Mr Olorunbe Mamora, speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, stated that the three countries have been added to the list of high-risk nations with widespread community transmission.

    This is coming after China, Japan, Iran, Italy, and South Korea have all been labelled high risk countries.

    Mr Mamora said the step became important for travellers from the eight countries after Nigeria carried out a review of its case definition for coronavirus.

    “Despite that we have not recorded a confirmed COVID-19 case in the last one week in Nigeria, it is important to remember that we are still at high risk like other countries.

    “We continue to monitor returning travellers that fit our case definition and improve our surveillance, detection and risk communications.

    “Following the declaration of a pandemic and increasing spread in countries, we carried out a review of our case definition. We have added three new countries to the existing list of five high-risk countries with widespread community transmission. These are France, Germany, and Spain. Therefore, eight countries are on our priority list- China, Japan, Iran, Italy, Republic of Korea, France and Germany.

    “Travellers from these eight countries will undertake secondary screening at the point of entry. They are also advised to self-isolate for 14 days on entry,” the Minister said.

    He noted that between January 7 and March 15, 2020, a total of 48 people, who met Nigeria’s case definition had been screened for coronavirus in Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Yobe, Rivers, Kano, Enugu states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    He added, “47 have tested negative and have been cleared, one was positive (contact of the index case) and one result is pending. There has been no death. The index case is clinically stable and has improved greatly. We look forward to progressing early this week, to guide the medical team in discharging him.”

    On the case of the woman that was placed in isolation in Enugu after being suspected of having symptoms synonymous with coronavirus, Mr Mamora said she had tested negative to the virus.”

    “In Enugu, a woman in her 70s returned from the United Kingdom and had symptoms of fever and mild respiratory illness. Her sample was collected for laboratory diagnosis and tested negative for COVID-19.

    “Therefore, as of March 15, 2020, Nigeria has recorded two confirmed cases of COVID-19. One case is now negative and has been discharged from the hospital,” he added.

    In the latest report about the pandemic, a total of 6,687 people have died with 174,893 cases confirmed in 162 countries so far with 77,867 people recovered.