Author: Chronicle Editor

The Director General of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu has announced President Muhammadu Buhari will make some difficult decisions on COVID-19 containment next week. He said: ”President Buharit will on Wednesday have a teleconference with the Governors and there will be some difficult decisions to be made on how to restart the economy, especially on what to start and what not to start.” The NCDC boss spoke while on a courtesy call on Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina in his office at Government House Katsina. He spoke as the Governor demanded establishment of a testing…

The Federal Government has announced the indefinite postponement of this year’s West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) because of the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said this at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. Both examinations were slated for May and June 2020. The minister said that 15 states had already commenced electronic learning for pupils on their local television and radio channels following the stay-at-home orders of the federal and several state governments. Nwajiuba appealed to parents to cooperate…

Social media giant Facebook has launched a $100 million small business grant to help alleviate the strain the coronavirus pandemic has caused businesses globally. According to Facebook, the Small Business Grants programme is designed to provide financial support that can go a long way. “We know that your business may be experiencing disruptions resulting from the global outbreak of COVID-19,” the social media giant said on its business page. “We’ve heard that a little financial support can go a long way, so we are offering USD 100M in cash grants and ad credits to help during this challenging time,” the…

Nigeria has been listed as one of the ten countries at risk of widespread famines “of biblical proportions” caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the UN has warned. David Beasley, head of the World Food Programme (WFP), said urgent action was needed to avoid a famine catastrophe. A report estimates that the number suffering from hunger could go from 135 million to more than 250 million. Those most at risk are in 10 countries affected by conflict, economic crisis and climate change, the WFP says. The fourth annual Global Report on Food Crises highlights Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela,…

President Donald Trump has said he will halt applications of foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the US because of the coronavirus crisis. A day after he announced the move in an ambiguous tweet, Mr Trump said the measure would protect American jobs. It is not clear how effective it will be as most visa services have already been suspended because of the outbreak. Critics say he is trying to distract attention away from his response to the virus. The US has nearly 45,000 deaths. Democrats also accuse the administration of using the pandemic to crack down on immigration. The…

Harvard University has pushed back against US President Donald Trump after he demanded it pay back nearly $9m (£7.3m) in coronavirus relief aid. The president said he was unhappy that the ultra-wealthy Ivy League college had received stimulus money. But the university said the funds would help students facing “urgent financial needs” because of the pandemic. Harvard is rated the world’s wealthiest university with an endowment fund valued at $40bn. At Tuesday’s coronavirus briefing, Mr Trump told a journalist: “I want Harvard to pay that money back, OK? If they won’t do that, we won’t do something else. “They have…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday has announced a staggering 117 cases of coronavirus in Nigeria taking the new total to 782 across the country. Nine patients were however discharged on same day with three more deaths reported from the virus. The centre for disease control is tracing thousands of residents who have contact with asymptomatic cases. “117 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported; 59 in Lagos, 29 in FCT, 14 in Kano, six in Borno, four in Katsina, three in Ogun, one in Rivers and one in Bauchi. “As at 11:25 pm 21st April there…

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced the discharge of nine coronavirus (COVID-19) patients after the tested negative twice to the virus. Disclosing the development, the governor said the total number of discharged patients have risen to 107. Lagos is the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria and has recorded 376 confirmed cases, more than half of the 665 cases in the country according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Lagos hospital asks visitors to self-isolate Updating residents on the new feat, Gawat Jubril, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on new media said, “The Incident Commander of…

President Muhammadu Buhari has called for urgent measures towards the speedy trial of cases and decongestion of custodial centres in the country in view of Covid-19 pandemic. In a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, the President drew His Lordship’s attention to the recent call by the United Nations on all countries “to consciously reduce the population of prison inmates since physical distancing and self-isolation in such conditions are practically impossible.” According to President Buhari, “From available records, the inmates population at various custodial centres across the country presently stands at about 74,127 out…

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has increased the hazard allowance of health workers in Lagos from N5,000 to N25,000 in appreciation of their relentless contribution to the health sector. In a statement signed by the Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the gesture was in appreciation of the efforts. “In appreciation of the dedication of all health officers in Lagos State to fight against the coronavirus pandemic, as well as their daily hazardous exposure to the highly contagious disease, it is hereby notified for general information that Mr Governor has approved the increment of Hazard Allowance for all health officers in Lagos state…