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The Kogi State Government on Wednesday accused the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control of bringing machines that had been programmed to record positive Covid- 19 cases only to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja. A statement by the Commissioner for Information , Kingsley Fanwo, said sample collection materials had been infected with Covid- 19. “ Our people should be careful in accessing health care at FMC, Lokoja for now . The institution has become an incubation point for breeding false Covid-19 cases. “ Both the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC are not trusted and we have every reason not to ever believe their commercial efforts against Covid-19, ” the commissioner said . Meanwhile, the state government has created mobile courts to try violators of the lockdown order in the Kabba /Bunu Local Government Area. The lockdown came on the heels of last week’ s confirmation of two cases of Covid-19 by the NCDC. A statement on Wednesday by Fanwo, state...

Saudi Arabia will end its nationwide coronavirus curfew from June 21, except in the holy city of Mecca , the interior ministry said Tuesday, after more than two months of stringent curbs. Prayers will also be allowed to resume in all mosques outside Mecca from May 31, the ministry said in a series of measures announced on the official Saudi Press Agency . The kingdom , which has reported the highest number of virus cases in the Gulf , imposed a full nationwide curfew during Eid el- Fitr, the Muslim holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan . The ministry said it will begin easing restrictions in a phased manner this week, with the curfew relaxed between 6 am and 3 pm between Thursday and Saturday. From Sunday until June 20, the curfew will be further eased until 8 pm, the ministry added . The kingdom will lift the lockdown entirely from June 21. “ Starting from Thursday, the kingdom will enter a new phase ( in dealing with the pandemic) and will gradually return to nor...

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Thursday said COVID-19 patients, who spent a long period at isolation centres were at the risk of depression. Ehanire, who stated this in Abuja at the press conference of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said government planned to deploy psychologists in isolation centres to take care of such patients. At the press conference, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the task force was reluctant to adopt home treatment it once proposed because of conditions under which Nigerians live. He also asked professional groups and faith-based organisations, including churches and mosques, to submit guidelines for reopening to the NCDC to review and advise. But explaining effects of long treatment on some patients, the health minister stated, “On the mental health issue of those in isolation, who have stayed a little bit longer, some people do get a little bit of mental depression. This men...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed it is considering Madagascar’s COVID Organics for a clinical observation process. This was made known by the President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina in a tweet on Wednesday. Rajoelina after a meeting with Director-General of WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said WHO had congratulated Madagascar for the discovery of its COVID Organics, adding that it had accepted to support the clinical observation process in Africa Recall that the Rajoelina had over the weekend claimed that the WHO offered his country the sum of $20m as a bribe to poison COVID-19 alleged cure. He also stated that the only reason the rest of the world had refused to take the herbal cure seriously and with respect was because it came from Africa. However, Rajoelina on Wednesday tweeted, “Successful exchange with @DrTedros who commends Madagascar’s efforts in the fight against coronavirus and congratulates us for the discovery of covidorganics. “@WHO will sign a confidentialit...

Moderna, the biotechnology company leading effort, made the announcement on Monday. The first COVID-19 vaccine to be tested on humans has produced positive initial results. Moderna, the biotechnology company leading effort, made the announcement on Monday, 18th May.  Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said this was based on the results of an initial clinical trial involving eight human test subjects, who were given two doses of the vaccine mRNA-1273 back at the start of March.   The healthy volunteers then produced antibodies which, when tested in human cells, were found to be able to stop the virus from replicating. Moderna said the levels of antibodies found also matched the levels discovered in individuals who contracted the virus and later recovered.  The company also noted that the vaccine was “generally safe and well tolerated” with the only adverse effect coming with one volunteer, who noted redness around the skin where the vaccine was injected.   The US F...

Madagascar on Sunday announced the first death of a patient suffering from novel coronavirus , nearly two months after it was first detected in the country. The 57- year -old hospital worked died on Saturday and had underlying diabetes and high blood pressure before he was infected , an official from the anti - coronavirus task team said . “ It is with great sadness that we have to share with all our compatriots, that there is an individual , aged 57, who died from COVID - 19, ” professor Hanta Vololontiana said on public television. He was a car park attendant at a hospital in the eastern city of Toamasina. The Indian ocean island which has reported 304 cases has hit the headlines over a home-grown herbal concoction that President Andry Rajoelina claims can cure people infected with the virus . Several African countries have ordered or expressed interest in the purported remedy, which is known as Covid- Organics . The tonic drink is derived from artemisia — a plant with proven efficac...

May 15: Eritreao fficially virus-free with 100% recoveries, no death  Eritrea has officially declared itself virus-free after all 39 patients successfully recovered from COVID-19. A Ministry of Health statement said the 39th patient had been discharged from hospital as of today. As of May 8, there were only two active cases, one of which was discharged on the 11th before today’s final recovery and discharge. Eritrea follows the likes of Mauritania and Mauritius who have recorded full recoveries. Mauritania have since recorded new cases. Eritrea is also among a handful of African countries that have not recorded deaths as of May 15, others are Madagascar, Central Africa Republic, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Lesotho, Rwanda and Uganda. Total confirmed cases = 39  Total recoveries = 39 Total deaths = 0 Active cases = 0 Figures valid as of close of day May 15, 2020 Announcement from Health Ministry – FULL TEXT One patient has recovered fully after standard tests at the Nation...

This follows announcement by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control that Federal Medical Centre, Yola, now houses its 25th COVID-19 laboratory. 19 testing laboratory has been established in Adamawa State, Updatevolume confirmed..  This follows announcement by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control that Federal Medical Centre, Yola, now houses its 25th COVID-19 laboratory. The agency further said that it was still working on establishing others in Katsina, Kwara, Anambra and Gombe states.  “We are pleased to announce the inclusion of the 25th lab to the national #COVID19 laboratory network: Federal Medical Centre, Yola, Adamawa. “In progress: Katsina, Kwara, Anambra and Gombe,” the NCDC said.

Earlier today, Friday May 15th, 2020, the government’s intelligence network uncovered a plot by some COVID-19 patients who sneaked into the state to escape. This attempt was promptly foiled leading to arrest and return of the patients who had already scaled the fence. The government is dismayed that these persons were among the imported cases who intentionally violated the interstate lockdown and came into the state. Security has been further beefed up at our isolation centre. The government restates that COVID-19 is not a death sentence and there is no reason why anyone would want to escape and put their own lives and the lives of other people at risk. Rafiu Ajakaye  Chief Pess Secretary to the Governor/Spokesman, Kwara State COVID-19 Committee  May 15, 2020.

15th May 2020    Uche Usim, Abuja The three tiers of government shared N606.196 billion in April, a statement the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning has said. The figure, which is lower than N780.926 billion shared in March, was announced at the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) virtual meeting held on Thursday in Abuja. The meeting was chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse. From this amount, inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT), exchange gain, solid mineral revenue, excess bank charges and excess oil revenue, the Federal Government received N169.831 billon, the States received N86.140 billion, Local Government councils got N66.411 billion, while the oil producing states received N32.895 billion as derivation (13% Mineral Revenue). However, cost of collection/refund for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), allocation to North East Development Commission and transfer to excess oil revenue was N15.134 billion. ...