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Nigeria has recorded four new cases of coronavirus, three in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and one in Lagos State. With this, confirmed cases in the country have risen to 139. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known via its Twitter handle on Sunday. It tweeted, “Four new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Nigeria; three in the FCT and one in Lagos. “As of 08:00 pm on 31st of March, there are 139 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. Nine have been discharged with two deaths. “For a breakdown of cases by states in real time, Lagos currently has 82 cases, FCT- 28, Oyo- eight, Osun- five, Ogun- four, Kaduna- three, Enugu- two, Edo- two, Bauchi- two, Ekiti- one, Rivers- one, and Benue – one.” Nigeria recorded its first coronavirus case on February 27 when an Italian businessman, who was on a visit to Lafarge Africa Plc, Ewekoro, Ogun State, was diagnosed with the disease. The Italian had recently been discharged. Following th...

It's absolutely confirmed now that nobody in Isolation center Ekiti state, the report says that the Nigerian male 38 years who tested positive sometimes ago has been discharged. He twitted this on his facebook that; Thanks to our resilent health workers, Ekiti state's #COVID19 patient has now been discharged. With this no Coronavirus patient  at its isolation center in Ekiti.

Minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Farouq, says the Federal government has begun cash transfer to the poorest households in the country This is to cushion the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Farouk announced this at a press conference in Abuja. She said her ministry has commenced advance payment of conditional cash transfer to the poorest households in the country. She however did not disclose the amount of cash that is being transfered to the poor. “In Mr. President’s speech, paragraph 54, he directed that the conditional cash transfer should be given in advance of two months. This we have also done. We have directed immediate cash transfer to the poorest and most vulnerable households in the country. “Because of this COVID-19, the vulnerable groups have to expanded, because we are aware that there are people who live on daily wage, so we are also going to look at those groups of people to see how we can...

The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, on Monday, ordered manufacturing of chloroquine for emergency stock for possible clinical trial treatment of coronavirus. The NAFDAC boss in a statement, said the anti-malaria drug was reported to function as anti-viral at both the entry and post-entry stages of 2019-nCoV infection. She added that chloroquine had also been reported as potential broad spectrum anti-viral drug. She noted that Lagos would begin clinical trial of the drug to evaluate its effectiveness, while calling on the public to desist from its use without the guidance of a medical doctor or clinician for cases of clinical trial treatment of COVID-19. She said, “Chloroquine, an old anti-malarial, is being re-purposed for the clinical trial treatment of coronavirus 2019-nCoV. The drug was first tested in vitro (in the lab) using standard assays to measure the effects on the cytotoxicity, virus yi...

Kabul (BNA) Public Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz said that the country needed $100 million while they only have $18 million. He said, “it is nothing.” The number of coronavirus cases was rising in Afghanistan was increasing because the Public Health Ministry does not have access to the required budget to fight the pandemic, the Minister has said. Four members of NATO’s Resolute Support mission are also among those who have contracted the virus in Afghanistan, he added. “We have three deaths and five recovery cases… Based on our plan, we might need $100 million while right now we have $18 million and it is nothing,” said Feroz. Lawmakers also confirmed hurdles in the government’s campaign against the spread of the coronavirus. “The Ministry of Public Health does not have the required facilities in access. More than 5,000 passengers and refugees are entering Herat from Iran on a daily basis and 1,000 to 2,000 others are entering Nimroz. “There should be proper measures for these pe...

Nigeria may not need many ventilators for the treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19)    patients, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said Mr Ehanire while answering questions from journalists, on Monday, agreed that the country does not have enough of the medical equipment needed to stabilise a respiratory distressed patient. The shortage of ventilators in the country has been a source of concern for many Nigerians including lawmakers and public health experts. A ventilator, a machine that pumps air in and out of the lungs, is needed to assist some patients to breathe. COVID-19 is a disease that affects the respiratory system, hence the number of hospitalised patients that would need breathing assistance is likely to also increase if the ailment spikes in Nigeria. This has been evident in other countries where the aliments are being treated. However, Mr Ehanire said most of the cases handled so far in the country have been mild and as such the country mi...

The governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Monday suspended the chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area and his deputy over their failure to carry out his directives on Covid-19. The governor also imposed a curfew in some parts of the state and vowed to declare statewide curfew should there be further disregard on the directives of the state government on measures to curb spread of coronavirus in Rivers. A statement by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, said Wike made this known during a fresh broadcast in Port Harcourt, the state capital. The governor said that the State Security Council reached the decision after it monitored compliance with the government’s earlier directives against Covid-19. “With effect from Tuesday March 31, 2020, there will be a dusk to dawn curfew from Obiri-Ikwerre Junction( Ozuoba, Rumualogu) to Choba and from Education Bus Stop to Agip Junction, Ikwerre Road,” Wike said. Issuing fresh directives Wike said: “...

In its bid to maintain social distancing over Covid-19 pandemic, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has adopted the use of teleconferencing for its meetings. The governors made this known in a communique its Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi made available to newsmen on Monday. The communique was entitled 'COVID-19 pandemic – 1st teleconference meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum held on Sunday, March, 29, 2020.’ In the document, NGF said its members accepted to be holding weekly teleconference meetings to enable them get time to time updates on the coronavirus disease. He added that this mode of meeting would also help the forum to maintain a coordinated position on the dreaded disease. On the deliberation of the forum on Sunday, Fayemi said members discussed the level of Covid-19 pandemic in the country. He said he informed members of the forum about various state-level coordination with the Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus, the private sector through the fo...

A Peoples Democratic Party chieftain and former lawmaker, Dino Melaye has called Buhari’s movement ban as undemocratic. The former Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to ban movement in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun is undemocratic. He said on Sunday that the President has no democratic right to take over affairs of States without the express approval of the Senate. The former lawmaker made this statement on his official Facebook handle following the live Presidential broadcast of the No. 1 citizen earlier on Sunday, 29th March 2020 where the latter was quoted to have ordered the restriction of movement in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun. “You will recall that I had a broadcast one week ago asking the for the lockdown of Abuja and Lagos. This buttresses the fact that I support measures to contain the Coronavirus pandemic but, it must be done in accordance with the law, ” Melaye said. “Nigeria is practicing con...

The Senate on Monday said that Senators have agreed to contribute 50 per cent of their salaries to support the efforts being made to contain the spread and treatment of Coronavirus (COVID-19) victims in Nigeria.  acting spokesman of the Senate, Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, said the monthly donation would be “sustained” until the COVID-19 pandemic is wiped out of the country. Akwashiki said: “After due consultations following a keen review of the national efforts to contain the Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, the Senate wishes to announce that from March, 2020, Distinguished Senators will be donating 50 per cent of their salaries to these efforts to stop the spread of the disease, otherwise known as COVID-19, in our country. “This monthly contribution from the Upper Legislative Chamber will be sustained until Nigeria is declared safe from the ravages of this deadly disease. “The Senate commends the efforts of President Muhammadu ...

Kusada town in Katsina State  was deserted on Sunday as many residents were reported to have fled  to avoid being arrested in connection with Saturday’s riot during which  one person lost his life while a police station , the divisional police officer official  quarters and seven vehicles as well as  10 motorcycles were burnt. Many houses and shops were locked on Sunday while streets in the town remained deserted. It was observed that only women, children and sick men  were those  still seen around the town , although security was beefed up around the burnt  police station. The Katsina State police commissioner, Sanusi Buba, however, said those found to be innocent among those arrested would be released. He warned that those who took part in the Saturday’s riot and were still at large would soon be arrested. The CP, who was in the town on Sunday to inspect extent of damage during the riot, said the rioters had no justification for ...

There are growing concerns about the health of Queen Elizabeth II following the diagnosis of her son, Prince Charles, who tested positive for Coronavirus. The monarch was reportedly exposed to the virus during one of her weekly meetings with Prime Minister Boris Johnson who tested positive during the week. The monarch held a face-to-face with Johnson on March 11. A statement from Buckingham Palace noted that the Queen’s health remains good and stable. “The Queen last saw the PM on the 11th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regards to her welfare. We will not be commenting further.” On Wednesday, it was announced that Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, had tested positive for the coronavirus after showing mild symptoms. His office said that he was self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland. The Prince of Wales, who last met the Queen on March 12, continues to work at his desk in his Scottish residence, Birkhall, as he is only sufferin...

Despite the significant reduction in its official selling prices aimed at wooing buyers, Nigeria is still struggling to sell its crude oil as Indian refiners are cutting back on output while European plants are considering closures. Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, relies on crude for 90 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings. Its foreign exchange reserves fell to $35.66bn on March 25 from $36.26bn on March 2, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria. The country has had to grapple with an unprecedented excess of oil triggered by the coronavirus outbreak and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia for market share. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was reported on Monday to have cut its April official selling prices for Bonny Light and Qua Iboe, two of the nation’s major grades, by $5 per barrel to dated Brent minus $3.29 and minus $3.10 per barrel, respectively. Most producers are offloading their oil for below $20 per barrel as the coronavirus pand...

Coronavirus  is worse than an earthquake. The disease does not discriminate, be you a very important person or even a virus in power (VIP). Initially, Nigerians thought it was only meant to torment the Western world. Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the wife of the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, came down with it. We moved on as if nothing happened. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, went into self-isolation, we shrugged our shoulders. The virus also knocked down Prince Charles and the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. But when the news went viral that the virus had entered Aso Rock, Nigeria’s seat of power, some of us exclaimed, ‘chai!’  Suddenly, our VIPs came back to reality. If this virus could hit a man as powerful as the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, then nobody is safe. If it could make a whole governor like Bala Mohammed of Bauchi or Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna to go into isolation, then there is a serious problem. Suddenly, there is this realisati...

As   the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), intensifies efforts to check the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic across the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it has commenced the disinfection of its head office and 37 branches in Nigeria. Disclosing this in Abuja at the weekend, the Director, Corporate Communications Department, Isaac Okorafor, said the move followed a management directive, which was in line with advisory from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the NCDC that all government establishment should disinfect their offices as a preventive measure against the virus. Okorafor also disclosed that the CBN had instructed all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and other financial institutions operating in Nigeria to take adequate measures to disinfect their offices. He reiterated assurances by the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, that the bank in collaboration with industry players ...

Most Christian residents of Adamawa State kept off their churches on Sunday in obedience to instructions from government and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Both the state government and the state chapter of CAN had asked that Sunday services be suspended as part of measures to avoid large crowds and prevent affliction with coronavirus. Most church branches were entirely under lock and key within the times that Sunday services normally take place. Prominent church locations in the state capital, Yola, which were usually filled with human and vehicular traffics but were completely deserted on Sunday were St Theresa Cathedral, the home church of the Catholic Bishop of Yola, located on Bishop Street, Jimeta; and LCCN Cathedral, the Yola main branch of the Adamawa-based Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, also located on Jimeta. Many other churches, mostly Pentecostal church branches within Yola were, however, open for what turned out to be skeletal services. Most ...