News
9 COVID-19 Updates to Read Today
265 more persons have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of infection to 7526, with 2174 recoveries, while 221 others have died from the virus.
According to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), 133 of the new cases were recorded in Lagos, 34 in Oyo, 28 in Edo, 23 in Ogun, 22 in FCT, 6 in Plateau, 5 in Kaduna, 3 in Borno, 3 in Niger, 2 in Kwara, 2 in Bauchi, 2 in Anambra and 2 in Enugu State.
A breakdown of cases by state can be found via https://t.co/Z5x7UFXpXd#TakeResponsibility pic.twitter.com/wfw37UubJB
— NCDC (@NCDCgov) May 23, 2020
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45 COVID-19 patients discharged from the Lagos state isolation centres
Lagos Stata governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed that 45 more COVID-19 patients have fully recovered and they’ve been discharged from the isolation centres. With this, the number of patients successfully managed and discharged in Lagos has risen to 707.
Sharing the news on Instagram, he wrote:
‘I bring you great news from our isolation facilities. Today, 45 fully recovered COVID19Lagos patients; 22 females and 23 males, all Nigerians were discharged to join the society.
The patients; 19 from the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, 3 from Onikan, 8 from Agidingbi, 7 from Lekki, 1 from Eti-Osa (LandMark) and 7 from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Isolation Centres were discharged having fully recovered and tested negative to COVID19.
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NBA legend Patrick Ewing says he tested positive for COVID-19
Patrick Ewing, the former Knicks superstar, Hall of Fame basketball player and the current coach of the Georgetown University men’s basketball team, announced on Friday evening that he has been hospitalized after testing positive for coronavirus.
“I have tested positive for COVID-19,” Ewing said in a statement. “This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly. I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourself and your loved ones.”
In a statement, Georgetown University said Ewing is “under care and isolated at a local hospital.”
“He is the only member of the Georgetown men’s basketball program to have tested positive for the virus,” the university said.
I want to share that I have tested positive for COVID-19. This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly. I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones. pic.twitter.com/a2fMuhIZyG
— Patrick Ewing (@CoachEwing33) May 22, 2020
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie sends her love to all the people of Brazil
On Saturday, Brazil overtook Russia to have the second-highest total number of confirmed cases in the world, after the US. The country has 347,398 cases.
Sharing a video of her listening to track from Brazilian singer, Xenia Franca, she disclosed that she’s thinking of Brazil, “a country close to my heart.”
Thinking of Brazil, a country close to my heart. And listening to this beautiful Brazilian voice @xeniafranca
Brazil now has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases, behind the United States.
Both countries have populist ‘leaders’ full of a vacuous braggadocio that would be funny if it didn’t have life and death consequences for so many.
Their irresponsibility costs lives.
Their fragile, brittle egos cost lives.
Real leadership matters.
Love to the people of Brazil.
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Benue State government reverses decision to reopen worship centres & markets
The Benue state government on Saturday said it will no longer push for the re-opening of worship places and market places.
On Thursday, the government has said it would commence the re-opening of state’s worship centres and markets which have been closed for close two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The state governor, Samuel Ortom announced the suspension of ban lifting, saying, “the Federal Government in her wisdom advised that it is premature to reopen worship centres and markets as COVID-19 cases increase.”
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Benue has recorded just five cases of COVID-19 as of Friday evening.
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The US reports 21,361 new coronavirus cases
According to Johns Hopkins University‘s tally of cases, there are at least 1,622,612 cases of coronavirus in the United States and at least 97,087 people have died.
On Saturday, JHU reported 21,361 new cases and 1,086 new deaths in the US. The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other U.S. territories, as well as repatriated cases.
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 23: Newly elected British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during the Conservative Leadership announcement at the QEII Centre on July 23, 2019 in London, England. After a month of hustings, campaigning and televised debates the members of the UK’s Conservative and Unionist Party have voted for Boris Johnson to be their new leader and the country’s new Prime Minister, replacing Theresa May. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
UK PM Boris Johnson is under pressure to sack a top aide over a reported lockdown breach
The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson is been pressurized to sack one of his media aides, Dominic Cummings, amid claims he made several trips to see his family in County Durham, while reportedly showing symptoms of coronavirus. The UK’s coronavirus restrictions made clear that people must not visit any other household, including second residences or family homes, and must not carry out any non-essential travel.
Downing Street has denied these reports, featured in the Mirror and Guardian newspapers, saying they contain “false allegations” and “inaccurate stories” about Cummings.
“His actions were in line with coronavirus guidelines. Mr Cummings believes he behaved reasonably and legally,” according to a statement from Downing Street, CNN reports.
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China reports three new coronavirus cases
According to the National Health Commission, China recorded three new coronavirus cases and no new deaths on Saturday. Two of the new cases in Shanghai and Guangdong were imported, and the other was a local transmission in northeastern Jilin province.
China has now recorded 82,974 cases, 79 of which are active. The official death toll stands at 4,634.
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Director of Wuhan lab says they never encountered the virus before the pandemic
Wang Yanyi, the director of Wuhan Virology Institute, spoke to Chinese state media CGTN, to share her take on these rumours, how she views the outbreak and the progress in cooperating with her international counterparts. She revealed that the institute did not have any knowledge of or encountered the coronavirus that caused this Covid-19 pandemic before December 30 last year, when they received its first clinical sample.
The director said they were working on three live strains of bat coronavirus, but none of them matches the one that has caused the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wang Yanyi told Chinese state broadcaster CGTN that the closest genetic match to the virus spreading around the world was only 79.8%, adding that claims made by US President Donald Trump and others that the virus could have leaked from the facility were “pure fabrication”.
She said: “Our institute first received the clinical sample of unknown pneumonia on December 30 last year … We didn’t have any knowledge before that, nor had we ever encountered, researched or kept the virus. In fact, like everyone else, we didn’t even know the virus existed. How could it have leaked from our lab when we never had it?”
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