Coronavirus
Kaduna, Rivers States declare partial lockdown
Governors of Kaduna and Rivers States have both declared partial lockdowns in their respective states.
Governors of Kaduna and Rivers States have both declared partial lockdowns in their respective states.
Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai declared the lockdown in a state broadcast at about the same time Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike announced the lockdown in a state broadcast.
Nyesom Wike
According to El Rufai, civil servants from level 1 to 12 are to comply with the stay-at-home order for the next 30 days, effective from March 24.
According to him, the market would have a partial lockdown as only traders selling food and medicines are permitted to open their shops. Essential service providers in the health, security and emergency sector are also excluded from the lockdown.
[READ MORE: COVID-19: All courts to shut down immediately)
He, however, noted that the government would not refrain from enforcing a total lockdown if the need arises.
El-Rufai thanked religious leaders, who had complied with the government’s directive against large gatherings and lamented that some had gone ahead to host large crowd in churches, mosques, weddings and other social activities.
The governor announced that security agencies had been directed to ensure compliance with the new directive.
“We have decided to move from advice to actual enforcement of its restrictions on large gatherings, especially in churches and mosques.
“This directive will be vigorously enforced by the security agencies and the Kaduna Markets Development and Management Company which will also ensure that all markets are fumigated,” he added.
El Rufai warned: “The state government will not hesitate to impose a state wide curfew, should that become the only way to enforce compliance and make everyone understand the collective danger that we face.’’
In a similar move against the spread of the Coronavirus, Governor Wike has suspended operations of night clubs, cinemas and public parks.
This is in addition to the closure of public and private schools, and restrictions on religious and transport activities.
While making the announcement in a state broadcast on Monday evening, Governor Wike noted that the lockdown would last indefinitely, beginning from Tuesday March 24.
Wike noted that even though no positive case has been recorded in the state, the government was committed to protecting its residents, hence the decision to close public places.
He also directed religious groups to stop all forms of open worship and ordered the suspension of public burials and weddings.
“After due consultations with religious leaders, it was agreed that all religious organisations are to temporarily stop all forms of open worship. Public burial and wedding ceremonies are also banned within this period.
“In view of the fact that the disease spreads fast through body contact, social distance has become imperative if we are to contain the spread,” he said.
[READ ALSO: COVID-19: FG closes land borders, suspends FEC meetings indefinitely)
He called on leaders at all levels to ensure that people under their care do not flout the directive as they would be held responsible.
He said, “May I emphasise that Local Government Chairmen are to be held responsible if public burials and weddings take place in their Local Government Areas.”
According to him, monitoring teams and surveillance posts have been set up in all the local government areas and defaulters will be seen as enemies of the state and sanctioned accordingly.
“My Dear Good People of Rivers State, the essence of governance is to protect lives and we cannot be indifferent when this COVID-19 continues to claim lives world-wide.
“These decisions may seem painful for all of us but there is no price that is too much to pay for us to stay alive.”
Business News
COVID-19 Update in Nigeria
On the 6th of May 2021, 28 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria
The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record significant increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 165,301 confirmed cases.
On the 6th of May 2021, 28 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria.
To date, 165,301, cases have been confirmed, 155,424 cases have been discharged and 2,065 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory
A total of 1.94 million tests have been carried out as of 6th May 2021 compared to 1.91 million tests a day earlier.
COVID-19 Case Updates- 6th May 2021,
- Total Number of Cases – 165,301
- Total Number Discharged – 155,424
- Total Deaths – 2,065
- Total Tests Carried out – 1,939,165
According to the NCDC, the 28 new cases are reported from 6 states- Lagos (10), Rivers (7), Akwa Ibom (6), Delta (2), Abuja (2), and Kaduna (1).
Meanwhile, the latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 58,524, followed by Abuja (19,802), Kaduna (9,064), Plateau (9,059),Rivers (7,130), Oyo (6,852), Edo (4,902), Ogun (4,678), Kano (3,961), Ondo (3,248), Kwara (3,122), Delta (2,623), Osun (2,575), Nasarawa (2,382), Enugu (2,401), Katsina (2,097), Gombe (2,034), Ebonyi (2,030), Anambra (1,909), Akwa Ibom (1,859), and Abia (1,689).
Imo State has recorded 1,657 cases, Bauchi (1,548), Borno (1,337), Benue (1,188), Adamawa (1,103), Taraba (974), Niger (930), Bayelsa (886), Ekiti (870), Sokoto (775), Jigawa (528), Kebbi (450), Cross River (394), Yobe (390), Zamfara (240), while Kogi state has recorded 5 cases only.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Western diplomats warn of disease explosion, poor handling by government
Lock Down and Curfew
In a move to combat the spread of the pandemic disease, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days, which took effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020.
The movement restriction, which was extended by another two weeks period, has been partially put on hold with some businesses commencing operations from May 4. On April 27th, 2020, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari declared an overnight curfew from 8 pm to 6 am across the country, as part of new measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19. This comes along with the phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos, and Ogun States, which took effect from Saturday, 2nd May 2020, at 9 am.
On Monday, 29th June 2020 the federal government extended the second phase of the eased lockdown by 4 weeks and approved interstate movement outside curfew hours with effect from July 1, 2020. Also, on Monday 27th July 2020, the federal government extended the second phase of eased lockdown by an additional one week.
On Thursday, 6th August 2020 the federal government through the secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 announced the extension of the second phase of eased lockdown by another four (4) weeks.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State announced the closed down of the Eti-Osa Isolation Centre, with effect from Friday, 31st July 2020. He also mentioned that the Agidingbi Isolation Centre would also be closed and the patients relocated to a large capacity centre.
Due to the increased number of covid-19 cases in Nigeria, the Nigerian government ordered the reopening of Isolation and treatment centres in the country on Thursday, 10th December 2020.
On 26th January 2021, the Federal Government announced the extension of the guidelines of phase 3 of the eased lockdown by one month following the rising cases of the coronavirus disease in the country and the expiration of phase 3 of the eased lockdown.
On 28th February 2021, the federal government confirmed that the first tranche of Covid-19 vaccines will arrive in Nigeria on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021.
On Tuesday, 2nd March 2021, the National Primary health Care Development Agency announced the arrival of the expected COVX Astrazeneca/Oxford covid-19 vaccines.
On Saturday, 6th March 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo received vaccination against the covid-19 as the State House in Abuja.
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Coronavirus
COVID-19: US Government to support vaccine intellectual property waiver
The US government has announced that it supports the waiver of Intellectual Property Protections on Covid-19 vaccine development.
The United States government has announced that it supports the waiver of Intellectual Property Protections on Covid-19 vaccine development, in a bid to boost the fight against the pandemic, and says it will participate in the Okonjo-Iweala-led WTO negotiation to make it happen.
This was disclosed in a statement by Ambassador Katherine Tai, the US Trade Rep, on Wednesday evening.
What the statement on Covid-19 IP waiver said
“The administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for Covid-19 vaccines.
We will actively participate in text-based negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to make this happen.
The Administration’s aim is to get as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as fast as possible.”
They added that they would continue working with the private sector and all possible partners to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution.
What you should know
Recall Nairametrics reported earlier that World Trade Organization’s Director-General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had warned that “vaccine nationalism” could affect the much-expected pandemic recovery, as well as decimate economic growth for all countries – rich and poor.
“A very top priority for me would be to make sure that prior to the very important ministerial conference … that we come to solutions as to how the WTO can make vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics accessible in an equitable and affordable fashion to all countries, particularly to poor countries,” she added.
