The doctor, who died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital on Wednesday after being rushed to the facility on Monday, was said to have managed a COVID-19 patient at a private hospital where he was working.
A medical doctor in Lagos, Emeka Chugbo, has become the first health worker in Nigeria to be killed by COVID-19 after he contracted the virus from a patient he was treating.
The doctor, who died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital on Wednesday after being rushed to the facility on Monday, was said to have managed a COVID-19 patient at a private hospital where he was working.
The patient he was treating died on April 3.
Confirming the report, Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof Chris Bode, said the doctor was rushed to the facility after he showed severe signs of the virus.
The Nigerian Medical Association also confirmed the death of the doctor.
“Until his death, he was a private medical practitioner, who was exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19.
“We condole with his immediate family and members of the medical community for this painful loss,” the NMA said.
Former United States President, Barack Obama has declared support for Joe Biden as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party.
Obama made the declaration in a live stream event shared on his Twitter page.
He urged lovers of the country to also support Biden for President
Trump is the Republican Party candidate for the U.S. 2020 Election.
Obama said, “I’m proud to endorse my friend @JoeBiden for President of the United States. Let’s go:
“For all of us who love this country and are willing to do our part to make sure it lives up to its highest ideals – now’s the time to fight for what we believe in.
“I’ll see you on the campaign trail as soon as I can.”
Meanwhile, United States Senator Bernie Sanders on Monday endorsed Joe Biden as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party.
His support will now calm nerves as Biden will go into the nomination, coming up in a few weeks, unopposed.
In Kaduna State, the state government expressed concern that coronavirus cases in the state could rise to 57,000, if residents continued to violate its lockdown order.
The state Task Force on COVID-19, which expressed the fear on Monday, said the risk assessment of the pandemic was troubling and could be up to 57,000 new cases, if there was no effective enforcement and implementation of the lockdown order.
The task force was reacting to the sixth confirmed COVID-19 case, a security guard, who returned to the state from Lagos by bus.
The Task Force Leader and Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, in an interview with journalists, said it was important for people to observe the lockdown.
He said, “With the pandemic gradually spreading to neighbouring states coupled with the sixth imported case from far away Lagos into Kaduna, we are not happy that the safe corridor provided for travellers has been serially abused since the lockdown was imposed, as people from elsewhere have been coming into Kaduna in droves in violation of the quarantine order.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria says interested stakeholders must meet its set criteria to access its N50bn intervention loans for small and medium scale enterprises.
The CBN introduced the N50bn Targeted Credit Facility as a stimulus package to support households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and guidelines to access the funds.
To access, it stated that, “Eligible households or MSMEs shall submit applications directly to NIRSAL Microfinance Bank; and the application must, among others, contain BVN number, business registration (where applicable) and business plan with clear evidence of the opportunity or adverse impact as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
“NMFB shall appraise and conduct due diligence applications; upon satisfactory appraisal of application, NMFB shall forward the applications to the CBN for final approval; and CBN reviews applications and gives final approval for disbursement to NMFB.”
The bank stated that eligible participants were households and existing enterprises with verifiable evidence of business activities adversely affected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and enterprises with bankable plans to take advantage of opportunities arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Activities covered under the guidelines include agricultural value chain activities, hospitality (accommodation and food services), health (pharmaceuticals and medical supplies), airline service providers, manufacturing/value addition, trading, and any other income generating activities as may be prescribed by the CBN.
It stated that the eligible participating financial institution for the scheme was NIRSAL Microfinance Bank.
The CBN said the loan amount would be determined based on the activity, cashflow and industry/segment size of beneficiary, subject to a maximum of N25m for SMEs; and households could access a maximum of N3m.
It stated that working capital would be a maximum of 25 per cent of the average of the previous three years’ annual turnover (where the enterprise was not up to three years in operation, 25 per cent of the previous year’s turnover would suffice).
It added that interest rate under the intervention would be five per cent per annum (all inclusive) up to 28th February 2021 and thereafter, the interest on the facility would revert to nine per cent (all inclusive) as from 1st March 2021.
The regulator stated that working capital would be for a maximum period of one year, with no option for rollover, while term loan would have a maximum tenor of not more than three years with, at least, one year moratorium.
It stated that the collateral to be pledged by beneficiaries under the programme must be acceptable by NIRSAL MFB, but may include any one or more of others which are moveable assets duly registered on the National Collateral Registry; simple deposit of title documents, in perfectible state; and deed of debenture (for stocks), in perfectible state.
Others were irrevocable domiciliation of proceeds; two acceptable guarantors; personal guarantee of the promoter of the business; life insurance of the key-man, with NMFB noted as the first loss payee; and comprehensive insurance over the asset.
A pastor has died from coronavirus after claiming “god is larger than this dreaded virus”.
Bishop Gerald Glenn died just days after testing positive for Covid-19.
Before he was diagnosed with the virus, Glenn addressed a congregation New Deliverance Evangelistic Church in Richmond, Virginia.
The state banned gatherings of ten or more people 24 hours later.
Glenn had diverticulitis, which inflames the intestines, according to daughter Mar-Gerie Crawley, who said it was not unusual for him to have fevers.
But his health worsened last Sunday and was put on a ventilator in hospital.
“They did the COVID-19 test on him and we got it back that day and it was positive,” Crawley told local station WVTVR.
Glenn passed away on Saturday night. Mar-Gerie is now calling on people to stay indoors.
“It becomes very real to you,” she said. “I just beg people to understand the severity and the seriousness of this, because people are saying it’s not just about us, it’s about everyone around us.”
Glenn’s wife, Marcietia, has also tested positive for the virus.
The US overtook Italy on Saturday with the highest number of coronavirus deaths.
More than 21,600 have died from the disease in the country, with 551,000 confirmed cases.
The US also become the first country in the world to report more than 2,000 coronavirus deaths in a single day.
New figures show 2,108 deaths were recorded on Good Friday and the country’s infection total surpassed half a million.
New York has the worst outbreak inside the US, with almost 175,000 confirmed cases and more than 5,800 deaths in New York City alone, according to the latest tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari addresses the nation on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Abuja, Nigeria March 29, 2020. Nigeria Presidency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS- THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states for another 14 days, as cases of coronavirus in the country continue to rise.
“Our approach to the virus remains in 2 steps – First, to protect the lives of our fellow Nigerians and residents living here and second, to preserve the livelihoods of workers and business owners,” buhari said in a national broadcast on Monday evening.
“With this in mind and having carefully considered the briefings and Report from the Presidential Task Force and the various options offered, it has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement in Lagos and Ogun States as well as the FCT for another 14 days effective from 11:59 pm on Monday, 13th of April, 2020. I am therefore once again asking you all to work with Government in this fight.”
China on Monday reported the highest number of new Coronavirus cases in nearly six weeks.
This occurred as the country battles to prevent more COVID-19 infections, weeks after containing the pandemic.
No fewer than 108 people tested positive in the past 24 hours, Dpa reports.
The figure includes 98 travellers returning from abroad, according to the National Health Commission.
There are concerns about a resurgence of the disease since March 6, when authorities counted 143 new cases.
Meanwhile, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said that there are now 13,814 confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in 52 countries across Africa.
Africa CDC stated this in a tweet on its official Twitter handle on Sunday evening.
According to the tweet, COVID-19 has killed 747 people in Africa, while a total of 2,355 patients have recovered from the deadly disease across the continent.
South Africa remains the highest country in Africa with 2,028 cases and 25 deaths, followed by Egypt with 1,939 and 146 deaths, and Algeria with 1,825 cases and 275 deaths.
Melinda Gates, wife of billionaire businessman and Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, has warned that there will be dead bodies all over the streets of Africa if the world does not act fast enough.
The billionaire wife stated this while speaking on the effect of the Coronavirus disease in the third world countries on CNN.
Melinda said her heart was in Africa, adding that she is worried that the continent might not be able to handle the devastating effect of the virus.
“It’s going to be horrible in the developing world.
“Part of the reasons you are seeing the case numbers still do not look very bad, is because they don’t have access to many tests.
“Look at what is happening in Ecuador, they are putting bodies out on the streets, you are going to see that in countries in Africa,” Mrs Gates noted.
Melinda fears things will get worst for Africa once cases peak due to poor health care systems and lack of humanitarian supports in the continent
She pointed out that her worst fear was when she “saw what China had to do to isolate enormous part of its population. My first thought was Africa. How in the world are they going to deal with this.”
“I have been in townships all over Africa and slums. When we talk in country physical distancing and hand-washing, if you live in slums who can’t physically distance, you have to go out and get your meals. You don’t have clean water to wash your hands,” she added.
Bello, son of Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has gone to war with a Twitter user named Consigliere @oewonah.
The two men clashed after the former criticised United States President, Donald Trump, for not doing enough to handle the outbreak of Coronavirus in America.
Bello said, “There is nothing as radioactive as an incompetent leader during a time of crisis. The United States of America is a case in point. A few states in Nigeria too.”
But not satisfied at Bello’s attack on Trump, Consigliere fired back, insisting that the American President was miles better than President Muhammadu Buhari and even his father, el-Rufai, in terms of quality leadership.
Consigliere wrote, “He can’t call Buhari out for his ineptitude yet he’s calling Trump names? Did he vote Trump?”
Rather than douse things, that only escalated tensions, forcing a series of strong-worded and offensive outbursts from the younger el-Rufai directed at the Twitter user.
He said, “Tell your mother I’m passing her to my friends tonight. No Igbo sounds please! Tueh.
“Your mother is the main whore of the South East. I can’t reply you publicly.
“F..k Kanu and take a picture of the Second Niger Bridge, thanks to Buhari.
“My mentions are mine. If a Sunday bastard makes up lies and drags my father, his mother will be games. If he doesn’t want it, he shouldn’t mention me. The crowd has never phased me.
“Truly your mother’s son. Does she still earn by earning 2,019 naira per suck on Azikwe Street, Aba LGA? Tell her to wear mask and gloves while doing it due to this pandemic.
“This daddy’s boy has heard your mother ability to take d..k is mind blowing. Especially one dipped in kerosene from Abia land. Sounds about fair. Despite the ineptitude, he is completing a bridge your Ebele couldn’t. You are stuck with PMB and can’t do shit. How’s failed daddy?”
Some other Twitter users didn’t find Bello’s outburst funny, they attacked him from every angle, expressing a mixture of disgust and disappointment at his choice of words.
