182 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria
182 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Nigeria, on Thursday. According to The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 111 cases were recorded in Lagos, 16 in FCT, 10 in Akwa Ibom, 8 in Oyo, 6 in Kaduna, 6 in Rivers, 5 in Ogun, 4 in Ebonyi, 3 in Kano, 2 in Plateau, 2 in Gombe, 2 in Kwara, 1 in Kebbi, 1 in Bauchi and 1 in Borno State.
In total, Nigeria has recorded 8915 cases of COVID-19. 2592 patients have been discharged from various Isolation centers across the country, while 259 deaths have been recorded.
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Africa’s COVID-19 cases hit 123,000
The World Health Organisation reported on Thursday that COVID-19 cases in Africa as of May 26 had risen to over 123, 000.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, gave the update on its official twitter handle. The figures show that South Africa, Algeria, and Nigeria have the highest reported cases on the continent.
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Ogun state eases lockdown and declares weekends a total lockdown
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has eased the lockdown in the state. He declared the weekdays – Mondays to Fridays, free for movement and business activities between 6 am and 8 pm.
Saturdays and Sundays, according to him, would be observed as a total lockdown henceforth. The new eased lockdown, Abiodun added, takes effect from Monday, June 1st. The Governor made this known on Thursday evening at the Governor’s Office while addressing newsmen.
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NCDC boss reacts after Kogi state government dismissed two reported cases of COVID19 in the state
Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director-General of the NCDC, has reacted following the Kogi state government’s dismissal of the two COVID19 cases that the NCDC recorded against the state on Wednesday.
The NCDC in the results released on Wednesday night announced that Kogi state which hitherto had no confirmed case now has two cases.
The state Commissioner for Health, Saka Haruna-Audu, in a statement, dismissed the results, saying the state has conducted hundreds of tests for COVID19 and all have returned negative. The Commissioner said the state will not bow to pressures from anyone to accept fictitious results as the state government only recognizes tests conducted in the state by the Ministry of Health.
However at the daily press briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID19 in Abuja earlier today, the NCDC boss dismissed the claims made by the Kogi state government. He said there is no confusion about the cases because the reference address given by the patients is Kogi state
‘There is actually no dilemma in the two cases. They followed absolutely normal practice. The patient that was referred from the Federal Medical Center to the National Hospital. This is a normal referral pathway when you have a case. They physicians in the National Hospital suspected COVID19 from the clinical symptoms of the patient, asked for a test, it came out positive. The individual lives in Kogi state.
Your public health response is based on where you live because that is where your contacts are so this is not controversial in anyway. Standard practice was followed. Once the results came out, the state epidiemiologist was informed that he has to do contact tracing around this patient. It is the state’s responsibility to do that contact tracing. So we hope they do it” he said
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Premier League planning to restart season on June 17
The Premier League plans to restart on June 17 after a 100-day shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with new kickoff times to make sure every game can be shown on TV as fans are prevented from attending games.
According to CBC, the clubs agreed on Thursday that the competition should resume with a Wednesday night doubleheader featuring Manchester City playing Arsenal and Aston Villa hosting Sheffield United, two games that were postponed during earlier rounds due to the coronavirus.
However, the league still needs formal approval from the government as lockdown measures are gradually eased.
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The US reported more than 21,700 cases today
The US reported 21,760 new cases of coronavirus and 1,174 related deaths today, according to Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker.
That brings the national tally to at least 1,721,753 cases and 101,616 deaths. The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
New York is the hardest-hit state, with 366,733 cases and 29,529 deaths. New Jersey, Illinois, and California followed.
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Boston Marathon Canceled for the first time in 124 years
The Boston Marathon was canceled for the first time in its 124-year history, officials announced on Thursday, as the spread of the coronavirus made clear that earlier plans to postpone the race until September were too optimistic.
The race the most prestigious marathon in the United States has been held annually since 1897, even amid world wars, periods of domestic tension, and in snow and rainstorms.
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Cyprus to pay the medical bill if tourists catch the coronavirus
Cyprus hopes to attract tourists after its coronavirus lockdown by paying the medical costs of anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 while holidaying on the island, officials said Wednesday.
The plan was outlined in a letter to tour operators and airlines detailing the measures Cyprus is taking to ensure the safety of its tourism sector. The letter was made public Wednesday and signed by the ministers of foreign affairs, transport, and tourism.
The Mediterranean island is marketing itself as a safe holiday destination during the global pandemic. The Republic of Cyprus has reported 939 novel coronavirus cases and only 17 deaths.
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Paris to Reopen Parks and Public Gardens on June 2
Paris will reopen parks and public gardens from June 2, the city’s mayor said on Thursday on its websites.
France is due to enter a second phase in its relaxation of lockdown rules imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus on June 2.
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Australia’s A-league to resume in July
Australia’s A-League, which was suspended in March because of the coronavirus outbreak, will resume in mid-July providing an agreement that can be reached with broadcasters, Football Federation Australia said on Thursday.
The plan for the completion of the last six rounds of the regular season and the championship playoffs follows the easing of social restrictions in Australia with the country that has been largely successful in containing COVID-19.
“We are committed to delivering the completion of the A-League 2019-20 season and have agreed to a comprehensive plan with the clubs and the (players’ union),” FFA chief executive James Johnson said in a statement.
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GSK to produce 1 bln doses of coronavirus vaccine booster in 2021
GlaxoSmithKline Plc will expand production of vaccine efficacy boosters, or adjuvants, to produce 1 billion doses in 2021 for use in shots for COVID-19, the British drugmaker said on Thursday.
The London-listed company said it was in talks with governments on backing for the program, which would effectively allow for a scaling up of production of future successful vaccines for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
GSK is one of several companies in the race to develop a vaccine for the respiratory illness that currently has no treatment and has already killed about 350,000 people.
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