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Tag: NCDC

  • COVID-19 burden hits new high in Nigeria

    COVID-19 burden hits new high in Nigeria

    Nigeria has recorded 664 new Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country as total infections from the virus rise to a new high of 31,987.

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) made this known on its official twitter handle on Saturday.

    The NCDC said that as at 11 July, 664 new confirmed cases and 15 deaths were recorded in the country.

    The health agency said that till date, 31,987 cases have been confirmed, 13,103 cases have been discharged and 724 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    The NCDC said that the 664 new cases were reported from 18 states; Lagos (224), FCT (105), Edo (85), Ondo (64), Kaduna (32), Imo (27), Osun (19), Plateau (17), Oyo (17), Ogun (17), Rivers (14), Delta (11), Adamawa (10), Enugu (7), Nasarawa (6), Gombe (3), Abia (3), and Ekiti (3).

    Consequently, the NCDC urges Nigerians to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in their communities.

    “It is very important to wash your hand frequently with soap under running water.

    “Let’s all #TakeResponsibiliy by ensuring hygienic practices to keep ourselves and loved ones safe and healthy,” the agency advised.

    The health agency said that wearing a mask or face covering in public spaces was one of many ways Nigerians could do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19.

    “As we continue to make progress in our fight against this virus, I urge Nigerians to continue to follow this important public health advice as we continue to respond to this outbreak,” it stated.

  • 684 dead as Nigeria’s Covid-19 infections exceeds 30,000

    684 dead as Nigeria’s Covid-19 infections exceeds 30,000

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 460 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 30,249.

    Also, the death toll from the virus has hit 684, as 15 new deaths were reported on Wednesday.

    There was a drop in the number of confirmed cases reported Wednesday compared to what was reported on Tuesday (503).

    The health agency in a tweet said the 460 new cases were reported in 21 states including Lagos, Rivers, Oyo, Delta, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Anambra, Kano, Plateau, Edo, Bayelsa, Enugu, Osun, Kwara, Borno, Ogun, Kaduna, Imo, Bauchi, Gombe, Niger and Adamawa.

    All the reporting states already had at least a case of the virus.

    As of the time of reporting, all 36 states and the FCT have recorded at least a case of the disease.

    Lagos state remains the epicentre for the disease with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths in the country, while Zamfara has not reported any new confirmed case in the past 51 days.

    The other five states with the highest number of confirmed cases are: FCT, Oyo, Edo, Delta and Kano State.

    The 460 new cases were reported from 21 states: Lagos – 150, Rivers – 49, Oyo – 43, Delta – 38, FCT – 26, Anambra – 20, Kano – 20, Plateau – 18, Edo – 14, Bayelsa – 13, Enugu – 13, Osun – 12, Kwara – 10, Borno – 8, Ogun – 7, Kaduna – 6, Imo – 4, Bauchi – 3, Gombe – 3, Niger – 2 and Adamawa – 1.

    Since the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria in February, a total of 169,629 samples have been tested.

    NCDC said as of the time of reporting, there are 17,192 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, while 12, 373 have recovered and have been discharged.

    Data from the health agency also indicates that the country is witnessing a high level of community transmission of the virus as 73 per cent of the total diagnosed cases reported unknown sources of exposure to the virus.

    Only 2 per cent of confirmed cases were detected in people with travel history and 25 per cent of confirmed cases are reported in persons who were contacted to those with travel history.

    “Till date, 30249 cases have been confirmed, 12373 cases have been discharged and 684 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” the NCDC stated.

    According to NCDC, the predominant age-group affected is 31 to 40. In the gender ratio, the males are more infected than females.

  • Lagos, Ebonyi top, as NCDC releases 544 fresh caseloads of Coronavirus infections

    Lagos, Ebonyi top, as NCDC releases 544 fresh caseloads of Coronavirus infections

    The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has released 544 new cases of Coronavirus in the country, with Lagos and Ebonyi topping the chat.

    This brings the nation’s coronavirus infections to 28,711, with 11,665 discharged so far and 645 deaths.

    In the new figures released by NCDC on Sunday, Lagos recorded 199 new infections, with Ebonyi ramping up 65 new cases.

    Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Edo and FCT recorded 47, 46, 31, 30 and 28 fresh cases respectively, while Katsina, Plateau, Bayelsa, Kaduna and Adamawa rake in 25, 15, 11, 10 and 10 new cases respectively.

    Others are: Akwa Ibom, 8; Gombe, 7; Kano, 4; Taraba, 3; Rivers, 2; Abia, 2 and Ekiti, 1.

    The cases were recorded in 19 States, while 11 deaths were recorded on Sunday.

    How they Stand

    Lagos-199
    Ebonyi-65
    Oyo-47
    Ondo-46
    Ogun-31
    Edo-30
    FCT-28
    Katsina-25
    Plateau-15
    Bayelsa-11
    Kaduna-10
    Adamawa-10
    Akwa Ibom-8
    Gombe-7
    Kano-4
    Taraba-3
    Rivers-2
    Abia-2
    Ekiti-1

  • BREAKING: Another popular pastor dies of COVID-19 in Delta

    BREAKING: Another popular pastor dies of COVID-19 in Delta

    Pastor (Dr.) Richmond Leigh, the Senior Pastor and Founder of Richmond Sisan Leigh Ministries, also known as Father’s House Bible Church, is dead.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Pastor Leigh was said to have died at an undisclosed hospital in Warri on Friday after contracting the dreadful Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

    Recall that Pastor Wilson Okotie, Senior Pastor, High Impact Christian Centre had also died as a result of the COVID-19.

    Also recall that the second case of the COVID-19 in the State, who was announced to have died from the pandemic before arrival at a treatment facility in the State, was a 57-year-old Pastor (name withheld).

    Meanwhile, Pastor Leigh was said to be briefly sick, and was immediately rushed to the undisclosed hospital on Wednesday when his health became more critical.

    It was gathered that Leigh had warned members of his congregation that Coronavirus is real, urging them to strictly adhere to the relevant health protocols.

    TNG reports the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Friday confirmed 16 cases of COVID-19 for Delta, bringing the total number of confirmed cases for the State to 1,165.

  • Oyo lawmaker turns security guard, chases journalists out of COVID-19 probe

    A member of the House of Representatives from Oyo State, Adedeji Stanley Olajide, on Friday turned a security guard, chasing journalists out of a public hearing at the National Assembly.

    Olajide who represents Ibadan South West/North West Federal Constituency exhibited what many described as “toutish display” akin to garage boys on Friday at the public hearing organised by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on COVID-19 on the need to investigate the status of medical research in the fight against COVID-19 and other diseases in Nigeria.

    Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of health, minister of state for health, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, the director general of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu and other heads of agencies and parastatals in the Ministry of health were all in attendance.

    The drama started when a member of the ad hoc committee observed that the meeting room was becoming crowded and sought the directive of the chairman of the committee, Rep. Haruna Mshelia (APC, Borno) to control the number of people at the venue.

    Consequently, Rep. Haruna Mshelia instructed that no one should be allowed into the hall again so that social distancing could be maintained.

    “Please, we have the minister of health with us here and we have to adhere strictly to the PTF social distancing recommendations. So, Sergeant at arms, please, open the doors but dont allow any more people to come in.

    “Let’s just maintain the number we have in the hall. Hon. Colleague, your observation is sustained”, Hon. Mshelia stated.

    But instead of preventing more people from entering the hall, Olajide, arrogated to himself the functions of a security man and started walking out guests and journalists out of the hall.

    Olajide ordered the sergeant at arms to drag out any guest or journalists who dares to question his unparliamentary and hostile behaviour towards them.

    His actions led to a protest by the journalists at the venue, who all walked out of the investigation and threatened to leave.

    Following this, two members of the ad hoc committee, led by Hon. Aniekan Umannah from Akwa Ibom intervened and pleaded with the journalists to forget about the embarrassment and continue with the coverage of the investigation. Most of the journalists refused to return to the hall.

    It is on record that Olajide, a first time lawmaker in the House has never sponsored any bill in the last one year neither has he sponsored a single motion on the floor of the House.

    This is not the first time Olajide is seen engaging in a dishonourable behaviour. At the last meeting of the committee, he was seen harassing people for not wearing face mask, when he had none on his face and many of the lawmakers did not wear any.

    His behaviour eventually made journalists and the guests to lose track of the purpose for the hearing due to unnecessary distraction occasioned by his loud noise and confrontation with people he chased out.

  • Road transport workers react as FG lifts interstate travel ban

    Road transport workers react as FG lifts interstate travel ban

    The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has advised its members to comply with the guidelines on the prevention of the spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as the ban on interstate was lifted.

    Mr Osakpamwan Eriyo, Executive National President of RTEAN, who gave the advice on Tuesday in Abuja, said the ban had created a lot of hardship on its members.

    The Federal Government inmposed the ban on interstate travelling on May 4 to help curb the spread of Coronavirus in the country.

    While thanking the Federal Government for lifting the ban, the RTEAN boss, however advised its members to religiously adhere to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines on preventions.

    Eriyo commended members of the Union for obeying the directives of the PTF and warned that they adhered to the rule of 50 per cent capacity of the passengers to be carried by the vehicle.

    “We have also passed out instructions to our state Chairmen, unit Executives and park managers to ensure that every person on a journey should wear a face mark.

    “Maintaining of social or physical distancing, provision of water, soap and hand sanitizers in all parks and testing of temperature.

    “We sincerely thank the Chairman of PTF, Boss Mustapha, Secretary to Government of the Federation and President Mohammadu Buhari for approving the lifting of interstate ban.

    “Our members really suffered during this period. We play a crucial role in the Transport sub-sector, and we urge the Federal Government to also provide some palliatives for our members,” Eriyo told NAN.

  • ASUU President states position on reopening of schools

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday kicked against the reopening of schools by the Federal Government due to the COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging the country.

    Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU National President, who spoke in Ota, Ogun State, said, the Federal Government needed to address the challenges of education sector before it can talk of reopening schools.

    He urged the Federal Government to provide ideal environment and should take the lead by meeting the conditions spelt out by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) before reopening schools.

    “The Federal Government must lead and show the ways by meeting the conditions for reopening of schools before any school can be allowed to open, because COVID-19 pandemic is a health challenge.

    “When it comes to public health, it is something that should not be left in the hands of individual, but the Federal Government must take the lead,’’ he told NAN.

    The ASUU president listed the conditions spelt out by NCDC to include: provision of materials for regular washing of hands, face mask, isolations centres, space for social distancing and hands sanitiser.

    Ogunyemi said that many of the schools do not have financial capacities to meet those conditions and requirements for reopening of schools.

    “It is suicidal to reopen schools now, if the Federal Government itself could not meet the conditions spelt out by NCDC and World Health Organisation (WHO).

    “The nation will expose the innocent children to risks which is avoidable,” he said.

    Ogunyemi noted that how many of these schools could afford to provide hand sanitiser, saying that many of them do not even have running water, not to talk of having facility for washing hands.

    He added that many schools do not have enough spaces to promote physical distancing.

    The ASUU president said that putting all these requirements needed together, to reopen schools in the country now would run to millions of Naira, which most schools could not afford.

    Ogunyemi appealed to the Federal Government to provide the running funds for the principals and head teachers so that they could provide some of these facilities in their schools.

    He further said that inadequate funds by many parents would hinder them from providing some of these amenities needed for reopening of schools.

    Ogunyemi said that the Federal Government needed to tell Nigerians the steps they intended to take in reopening schools.

    The ASUU leader said that for government not to tell people their minds was like running away from “our shadow” which would later hunt the country.

  • Delta ex-Gov, Uduaghan reacts as Okowa’s daughter contracts COVID-19

    The immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has advised citizens to do more for themselves, saying the various arms of government are doing their best to contain the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Uduaghan gave the advice on Friday as Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his wife, Edith go on self isolation after one their daughters tested positive for the dreadful virus.

    “From the stage of denial, we have gradually moved into the stage of asking this question: how careful can we be? It is now obvious that COVID-19 is right here with us. More worrisome is that, people whom we believe are quite careful are contacting it,” Uduaghan stated.

    Recall that Nigeria’s COVID-19 cases escalated to 22,614 on Thursday with 594 new cases announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The big surprise was Delta, where new infections surged by 106, in the last 24 hours.

    Delta was 9th on the cumulative leaderboard with 609 cases, before Thursday’s tally. With 709 cases, it will now leapfrog Kaduna to claim the 8th position behind Ogun that recorded just 12 cases on Thursday, taking its tally to 733 cases, with Lagos, as usual recording the highest cases of 159, and Ondo coming next to Delta with 44 cases.

    “Do we really know the complete mode of transmission? Is it not possible that the mode of transmission is more than what the scientists are currently telling us. No doubt it is a new illness, so we may not know everything about it. How careful can we be? These questions have no concrete answers” Uduaghan stated.

    While advising citizens to “observe the basic precautions that you have been reading and hearing of over and over,” the former Governor said, “being careful has no limits. Regular handwashing and/or use of sanitizer, use of face masks, physical/social distancing, elbow coverage of face while coughing or sneezing etc, avoiding crowded places, boosting your immunity with Vitamins C & D and Zinc tablets… are just the minimum”.

    Uduaghan advised citizens to take seriously healthy diet, exercises, cleaning of surfaces regularly with soap and water, bleach, dettol, spirits or savlon, etc.

    “Monitoring of domestic staff also very important; drivers, stewards, cooks, orderlies, security staff and PAs who have to go in and out of our homes or offices are becoming sources of infection.

    “Minimize social visits and social gatherings. Our outing should be more for economic activities. Let’s try and do more for ourselves, while the various arms of Government are doing their best. May God heal those who currently have the disease IJN,” Uduaghan stated.

  • Okowa, wife go on self isolation as daughter tests positive for COVID-19

    Okowa, wife go on self isolation as daughter tests positive for COVID-19

    There is palpable fear in the Delta State Government House in Asaba after one of the daughters of Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, the State Governor tested positive for the dreadful Coronavirus disease (TNG).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the test result of Governor Okowa’s daughter was among the 106 COVID-19 cases confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for the State for Thursday.

    While the identity of the daughter was not revealed, Governor Okowa on Friday said himself and his family, in-line with the laid out procedures, are going into isolation for the next 14-days.

    “Earlier today, Edith and I received the news that one of our daughters has tested positive for COVID-19. Hence, in-line with the laid out procedures, we are both going into isolation for the next 14-days. We will continue to keep you all updated,” Governor Okowa tweeted.

    Nigeria’s COVID-19 cases escalated to 22,614 on Thursday with 594 new cases announced. The big surprise was Delta, where new infections surged by 106, in the last 24 hours.

    Delta was 9th on the cumulative leaderboard with 609 cases, before Thursday’s tally. With 709 cases, it will now leapfrog Kaduna to claim the 8th position behind Ogun.

    Ogun recorded just 12 cases on Thursday, taking its tally to 733 cases. Lagos, as usual recorded the highest cases of 159. Ondo came next to Delta with 44 cases.

  • No state in Nigeria is COVID-19 free – NCDC

    Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says no state in Nigeria is free of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Ihekweazu said this at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) media briefing on Monday in Abuja.

    He noted that some states might not have recorded any COVID-19 case at the moment, but they would eventually do.

    While giving an update on his visit to four states including Akwa Ibom, Edo, Plateau and Lagos, he commended the state governors for aggressively investing in the COVID-19 response, using state resources.

    He lauded Edo government for the innovative approach adopted such as the inclusion of Edo in the diaspora, in various universities around the world, to understand how they were responding.

    “We are really impressed by the work going on in Edo.

    “In Edo, we met a very dedicated team at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and the Stella Obasanjo Hospital and really saw a set of clinicians working very hard innovatively, to deal with the Challenges,” he said.

    The director-general commended Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, for investing aggressively in the response and Public Health in general.

    He stated that Akwa Ibom had set up a new EOC, treatment centre and Laboratory.

    Ihekweazu said the purpose of the visit was to understand their response, encourage them to develop new strategies and share experiences with other states.

    The director-general, however, expressed disappointment that Nigerians were grossly not adhering to the preventive measures against the disease.

    He noted that the case fatality ratio in Nigeria was higher than that of South Africa and Ghana, despite being relatively low in global context.

    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the NCDC said that the failure to take responsibility in limiting the spread of the virus was threatening the gains in the fight against the pandemic.

    The health agency noted that the increase in the COVID-19 cases in the country was due to the ongoing community transmission of the virus and increased testing capacity across states.

    “Our advice to Nigerians is to stay safe by physical distancing, frequent handwashing and use of face masks,” he said.