COVID-19 lockdown: My worries ― Beverly Naya

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhs13PgEeWm9Qs5Oai8jKIn3mL1dXUwfEV3C_faVqCakFEX_CPaKln2cUeC4lBeXURY0LNxhTD0-OwKocR8VqFr67LblRNkrcNayyfQ9qEchlKj_vSf_YNwqBbmrTISJaEh4tw9ConaE/s1600/BAA62E81-06FD-4227-B1FB-3F491CBCA08B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="764" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhs13PgEeWm9Qs5Oai8jKIn3mL1dXUwfEV3C_faVqCakFEX_CPaKln2cUeC4lBeXURY0LNxhTD0-OwKocR8VqFr67LblRNkrcNayyfQ9qEchlKj_vSf_YNwqBbmrTISJaEh4tw9ConaE/s400/BAA62E81-06FD-4227-B1FB-3F491CBCA08B.jpeg" width="305" /></a></div> <br /> <b>With the gloom of COVID-19 looming ominously over our heads, everyone has a sort of fear nudging at them and even so-called celebrities are not left out of the loop.</b><br /> <br /> For British-born Nigerian actress, Beverly Naya, her fear is not of the lockdown but after the lockdown.<br /> <br /> “When Nigeria ends the lockdown, I have no intentions of leaving my house for at least another week or two. Gotta be wise and figure out how to actually live in Africa during a pandemic,” she writes on her Twitter handle.<br /> <br /> When she was reminded by one of the respondents to her tweet that Africa is still safer than other continents, she replied thus:<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> “Every country was once safer than China, remember that time? The UK was once safer than Italy, remember? Yeah, I have started to accept it’s a lost cause”.

Latest-News COVID-19 lockdown: My worries ― Beverly Naya

With the gloom of COVID-19 looming ominously over our heads, everyone has a sort of fear nudging at them and even so-called celebrities ar...

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Uncertainty surrounds Kim Jong Un’s health status, his train spotted at resort town

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PeKY8BdjFp7LOAhQZgUGDAFEPrWXK_rcgXDulAhtY8JZ_jXs3ff-JDrk4ZidpcfFZ0IJyt_y3vPCa7epRBV1qMryN8BUvUS81hDtTZ1qtvOihxPGWeQdoXiKXC5BOsSsdbuYMD5O2oo/s1600/6268FD81-FF62-470A-B1C2-D6B82DD6F6CE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="750" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PeKY8BdjFp7LOAhQZgUGDAFEPrWXK_rcgXDulAhtY8JZ_jXs3ff-JDrk4ZidpcfFZ0IJyt_y3vPCa7epRBV1qMryN8BUvUS81hDtTZ1qtvOihxPGWeQdoXiKXC5BOsSsdbuYMD5O2oo/s400/6268FD81-FF62-470A-B1C2-D6B82DD6F6CE.png" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <b>In a report on Saturday, 38 North monitoring group said the train was parked at the “leadership station” in Wonsan on April 21 and April 23. The station is reserved for the use of the Kim Jong Un family, according to the Washington, DC-based group.</b><br /> <br /> “The train’s presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country’s eastern coast,” it said.<br /> <br /> Speculation about Kim’s health first arose due to his absence from the birth anniversary of North Korea’s founding father and Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il Sung, on April 15.<br /> <br /> North Korea’s state media last reported on Kim’s whereabouts when he presided over a meeting on April 11, Al Jazeera said.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> China has dispatched a team to North Korea including medical experts to advise on Kim, Reuters news agency reported, citing three people familiar with the situation.<br /> <br /> A third-generation hereditary leader who came to power after his father’s death in 2011, Kim has no clear successor in a nuclear-armed country, which could present a significant international risk.<br /> <br /> Daily NK, an online media outlet run mostly by North Korean defectors, reported last week that Kim underwent a cardiovascular procedure and was recovering at a villa in North Pyongan province.<br /> <br /> Citing an unidentified source in the country, it said Kim, who is in his mid-30s, had needed urgent treatment due to heavy smoking, obesity and fatigue.<br /> <br /> On Thursday, US President Donald Trump downplayed reports that Kim was ill. “I think the report was incorrect,” Trump told reporters, but he declined to say if he had been in touch with North Korean officials.<br /> <br /> Trump has met Kim three times in an attempt to persuade him to give up nuclear weapons programme that threatens the United States as well as its Asian neighbours. While talks have stalled, Trump has continued to hail Kim as a friend.<br /> <br /> Reporting from North Korea is notoriously difficult because of tight controls on information.<br /> <br /> On Thursday, citing an unidentified government official, South Korean broadcaster SBS reported that Kim appeared to have been in Wonsan for at least the past four days and would soon return to the public eye.<br /> <br /> The report added that the military was monitoring Kim’s train, which had been seen in Wonsan, while his personal jet – frequently used by Kim on his trips to Wonsan – remained in Pyongyang.<br /> <br /> North Korea’s state media remain silent about the international speculation on Kim’s health. On Saturday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim had received a message of greeting from the chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation on the occasion of the first anniversary of Kim’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The message wished Kim “good health and happiness”, the KCNA said.<br /> <br /> This is not the first time that Kim Jong Un has vanished from the public eye, and past absences in state media dispatches have also triggered speculation about his health.<br /> <br /> In 2014, state media did not report any public activities for Kim for about six weeks, before he reappeared with a cane. South Korea’s spy agency later said he had a cyst removed from his ankle.

Latest-News Uncertainty surrounds Kim Jong Un’s health status, his train spotted at resort town

In a report on Saturday, 38 North monitoring group said the train was parked at the “leadership station” in Wonsan on April 21 and April 2...

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COVID-19: Gov. Ikpeazu declares dusk to dawn curfew in Abia

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1Crq1lhKwHYin4Ti19Bty_O3T6k0AFsNS6PzbuouUvkm3FbRh_y5QKsHAPfBMFXWDnngPys5zREHazfuBqaIvHbFWNndPdGdG8C1V851mQ2ZvvByPIZx0_rs5zaAjbKkCq8E81BT_Ls/s1600/EA379039-C375-4A52-98B6-05F2329B91EA.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1200" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1Crq1lhKwHYin4Ti19Bty_O3T6k0AFsNS6PzbuouUvkm3FbRh_y5QKsHAPfBMFXWDnngPys5zREHazfuBqaIvHbFWNndPdGdG8C1V851mQ2ZvvByPIZx0_rs5zaAjbKkCq8E81BT_Ls/s400/EA379039-C375-4A52-98B6-05F2329B91EA.png" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <b>Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has declared a dusk to dawn curfew on the state as part of government efforts to check further spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the state.</b><br /> <br /> Ikpeazu said this on Saturday in Aba while addressing newsmen on the state government’s efforts toward handling recent developments in the state.<br /> <br /> He said that an extensive contact tracing exercise had commenced in Ukwa West, Ikwuano and Umuahia North Local Government Areas, which are thd epicentre of the state’s index cases.<br /> <br /> “Presently, about 207 contacts have been established and we are still counting. Unfortunately our epidemiologists are experiencing some problems in some communities in Ukwa West.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> “The TC chairman of Ukwa West and the traditional rulers must yield unfettered access and cooperation to our medical team or risk immediate suspension,” he warned.<br /> <br /> Ikpeazu said that transition committee chairmen of the councils were expected to take the exercise serious, adding they will be held responsible in the event of any lapses.<br /> <br /> The governor said that from April 26 midnight, the three affected local government areas would be on total lockdown for seven days.<br /> <br /> He added that this was aimed at enabling the state government’s epidemiologists to successfully conduct and conclude the ongoing contact tracing exercise in the areas.<br /> <br /> Ikpeazu acknowledged receiving 1,800 bags of rice from the Federal Government for Abia people, adding that the wholesomeness of the supply will be examined and a pattern for distributing the items will be evolved.<br /> <br /> He said that the state had also received a number of face masks from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and commended the federal government for the gesture.<br /> <br /> “We make bold to state that in Abia, we are self-sufficient in the production of facemasks and as such do not need any imported face masks and PPE in Abia,” Ikpeazu however said.<br /> <br /> He directed that Christian Association of Nigeria, traditional rulers, Civil Society Organisations and women journalists as well as presidents of town unions and development associations should be included in the Committee on Palliatives.<br /> <br /> “From next week the committee would embark on the distribution of relief materials in various communities in the state,” he said.<br /> <br /> Ikpeazu added that plans were underway to ensure that more groups and individuals would benefit from the state government relief materials distribution exercise.

Latest-News COVID-19: Gov. Ikpeazu declares dusk to dawn curfew in Abia

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has declared a dusk to dawn curfew on the state as part of government efforts to check further spread of Coron...

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Fabric face masks offer least protection, says pathologist

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Q0M8l_X06NopPKepXynTRcmsICo49fu20-oin4LSZ2jxKliNhhb3VEcQgmo3zzc1n3k1OSxW2HGKgrUDVjj3XEUlzH7-dcwgn7zH5NdwV3Lj8rvYnZQMrVjEps4h0-_NVL6ToiwGp3Y/s1600/60CE6EC4-CD61-42F2-A383-244FA614837D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="699" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Q0M8l_X06NopPKepXynTRcmsICo49fu20-oin4LSZ2jxKliNhhb3VEcQgmo3zzc1n3k1OSxW2HGKgrUDVjj3XEUlzH7-dcwgn7zH5NdwV3Lj8rvYnZQMrVjEps4h0-_NVL6ToiwGp3Y/s400/60CE6EC4-CD61-42F2-A383-244FA614837D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <b>As confirmed cases of coronavirus continue to surge in Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said government might commence enforcement of wearing of face mask in public places from Monday.</b><br /> <br /> He also said one million locally-made face masks had been contracted to tailors and would be distributed to the public.<br /> <br /> However, experts say while wearing medical masks is one of the preventive measures that could limit the spread of certain respiratory viral diseases, including COVID-19, they are insufficient to protect wearers from infection.<br /> <br /> According to the World Health Organisation, there is currently no evidence that wearing a mask (whether medical or other types) by healthy persons in the wider community setting can prevent them from getting infected with respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> In an interview with newsmen, Consultant Pathologist and President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Francis Faduyile, said the N-95 facemask gives up to 95 percent protection against COVID-19, while the surgical facemask gives up to 30 percent protection.<br /> <br /> Fabric face masks — such as the type being recommended by the Lagos Governor — give about 10-15 percent of protection, the pathologist said.<br /> <br /> “While it has not been established that face masks will give absolute protection, if we don’t have any other thing and they are saying they want to use face masks, then nobody can fault that.<br /> <br /> “However, people should not have a false hope that when they put on the face masks, they are covered, as the percentage of safety is low,” Faduyile said.<br /> <br /> “For the face masks to be effective, the wearer must know how to put it on and how to discard it and where to touch and where he cannot touch because if he touches the area he or she is not meant to touch, he or she can infect himself more than when he or she is not using the face mask,” the physician warned.<br /> <br /> The World Health Organisation says whether or not masks are used, maximum compliance with hand hygiene and other infection prevention control measures are critical to prevent human-to-human transmission of COVID-19.

Latest-News Fabric face masks offer least protection, says pathologist

As confirmed cases of coronavirus continue to surge in Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said government might commence enforce...

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Shortage of PPE, N95 masks exposes us to infection risks —Lagos isolation centre workers

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXuEG10P5IZ3sftxvOfO5dxXofZ1iY9a2D2AhQLU3H0otDqtN8RbyjuPDqOEbA_4peOYxGfp60giejp5HsoCrO05srVfFLtxJbBeiOol96zTmufl8iPVB3gPQ_mKwJ_ox7RZzJA5bKMQ/s1600/509130AB-A240-46F5-BD82-287D95C50657.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="697" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXuEG10P5IZ3sftxvOfO5dxXofZ1iY9a2D2AhQLU3H0otDqtN8RbyjuPDqOEbA_4peOYxGfp60giejp5HsoCrO05srVfFLtxJbBeiOol96zTmufl8iPVB3gPQ_mKwJ_ox7RZzJA5bKMQ/s400/509130AB-A240-46F5-BD82-287D95C50657.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <b>Healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients at the Mainland Hospital, an infectious disease facility in Yaba, Lagos, have raised the alarm over alleged shortage of Personal Protective Equipment.</b><br /> <br /> They allege that the shortage of the crucial equipment is exposing them to risks of contracting the coronavirus.<br /> <br /> A reliable source at the hospital who spoke to newsmen on the condition of anonymity said the situation was becoming worrisome, as there is no N95 respirator mask, protective suit or face shield for the health workers.<br /> <br /> “We no longer have the N95 mask that we can use at the isolation centre at IDH, and that is the only reassurance for health workers,” the source said.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> The source alleged that the government was planning to implement a new policy that will make health workers at the hospital to use the common medical mask.<br /> <br /> “They want to bring out a new policy, because if there is no N95, the next option is to use the normal blue medical mask that everyone wears on the street, and it is not proper for people attending to confirmed cases of COVID-19 to wear such a mask.<br /> <br /> “Now, health workers are breaking down and coming down with COVID-19. This mask is not what we can use. The shortage started since the beginning of last week and we’ve been rationalising it.<br /> <br /> “So, instead of having four people go into the isolation centre, two people will go in and they can only administer the drug.<br /> <br /> “So, there is no enough manpower that can go in because we don’t have enough PPE for workers.”<br /> <br /> Distraught by the situation, the source said, “This is endangering our lives already,” the source said.<br /> <br /> Our Correspondent gathered that three nurses had tested positive for COVID-19 at the IDH.

Latest-News Shortage of PPE, N95 masks exposes us to infection risks —Lagos isolation centre workers

Healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients at the Mainland Hospital, an infectious disease facility in Yaba, Lagos, have raised the ala...

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Obaseki appoints Uzamere as Chief of Staff

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARiTyHPY9qNz8SB13oHWROtEIfkXDw1RBLOKl4zyBSo6j41x2Rxe0hAWlhx5100a0MG4cVKdbxLW4xzHDzQEzABAynFx8XwAUsF_cvTehnNGk07M9xvdPiAOPP0Rdk_4xELxGePJ3c5U/s1600/DBAF3052-6B95-4A20-8564-309DEC5FEC74.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="530" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARiTyHPY9qNz8SB13oHWROtEIfkXDw1RBLOKl4zyBSo6j41x2Rxe0hAWlhx5100a0MG4cVKdbxLW4xzHDzQEzABAynFx8XwAUsF_cvTehnNGk07M9xvdPiAOPP0Rdk_4xELxGePJ3c5U/s400/DBAF3052-6B95-4A20-8564-309DEC5FEC74.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <b>The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has approved the appointment of Osaze Ethan Uzamere as his Chief of Staff.</b><br /> <br /> In a statement, Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., said the appointment takes immediate effect.<br /> <br /> Uzamere is the son of Senator Ehigie Uzamere, who represented Edo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly between 2007 and 2011.<br /> <br /> An investment banker, Uzamere, 38, is a graduate of Stony Brook University, New York, where he majored in Computer and Electrical Engineering.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> He has had stints with Lehman Brothers and South Grade Engineering, among others.<br /> <br /> A thorough-bred professional, he had, before his appointment, served as Executive Assistant to Governor Obaseki.<br /> <br /> The former Chief of Staff, Taiwo Akerele, has in a short statement revealed that the main reason he resigned was due to what her called “administrative reasons.”<br /> <br /> “My decision to exit the government is based on administrative and governance grounds.<br /> <br /> “I am solid with His Excellency, Mr Godwin Obaseki, in his quest to transform Edo State. His mission and vision resonate with mine.<br /> <br /> “This is all I have to say, I will like to be given the opportunity to go private, as I part ways administratively with the government, based on principles.<br /> <br /> “I thank His Excellency for the opportunity given to me to serve in this capacity and also thanks to His Royal Majesty, Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, for his immense leadership and support during the period I served in this capacity. May his reign be long and peaceful. Amen”

Latest-News Obaseki appoints Uzamere as Chief of Staff

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has approved the appointment of Osaze Ethan Uzamere as his Chief of Staff. In a statement, S...

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Covid-19: Permit us into isolation centers to heal sick Nigerians – Apostle Suleman begs FG

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycBG6YWUgRzg8rn2gk0TfJC_vLS_GR3ZmQHoBUvmVEKUJB6cCso3zz7OXMJNV1JEWQRdwnAh1dNNNFkVhIHEiq0vdsnZWQYKAzBPMgNhEprYtkrAQF98oZTzgMkZ-eaRRuarxoYSmNs0/s1600/FFE1D3E5-0976-4151-AA1F-AD34398099B1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="680" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycBG6YWUgRzg8rn2gk0TfJC_vLS_GR3ZmQHoBUvmVEKUJB6cCso3zz7OXMJNV1JEWQRdwnAh1dNNNFkVhIHEiq0vdsnZWQYKAzBPMgNhEprYtkrAQF98oZTzgMkZ-eaRRuarxoYSmNs0/s400/FFE1D3E5-0976-4151-AA1F-AD34398099B1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <b>The founder of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari Government, to allow pastors to heal COVID-19 patients.</b><br /> <br /> He stated this during an online broadcast via his church’s Facebook page on Saturday.<br /> <br /> Suleman said those with the gift of divine healing need to be given permission, to visit isolation centres and heal people.<br /> <br /> “Please (referring to the government) permit us to go and pray for COVID-19 patients. Allow us to go there (isolation centres), that is why there are men of God,” he said.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> “If you are really anointed to pray for the sick, this is the time because what is holding the world is sickness. So, we’re begging the government to permit us into isolation centres, that is the only way we can reduce this nonsense because it will improve every day.<br /> <br /> “There are people with the gift of healing, God has gifted them to pray for the sick. It is not fake, gimmick or arranged. It is there in them. Permit us so that we can prove there are prophets in Nigeria.”<br /> <br /> As at Saturday night, there were 1,095 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Nigeria.<br /> <br /> There is still no approved vaccine for the virus.

Latest-News Covid-19: Permit us into isolation centers to heal sick Nigerians – Apostle Suleman begs FG

The founder of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari Government, to allow pastors to heal...

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