Corona Virus Update
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Mexico at ‘focal point’ of coronavirus pandemic after biggest daily rise in cases
*Mexico has reached “the peak moment” of its coronavirus outbreak, officials said, as the country recorded its largest one-day rise in cases so far.*
More than 2,409 new cases of the virus were recorded on Thursday – the first time their latest figure has surpassed 2,000.
The toll of confirmed cases in the country is now more than 40,000.
The grim milestone comes amidst strategies to ease lockdown measures and restart their economy, mainly factories near the border with the US.
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell – an epidemiologist and Mexico’s coronavirus tsar – marked out this as “the most difficult moment of the first wave of the epidemic”.
He said that the country “could not relax measures” in place to reduce the escalation of the virus, and in alternative needs to welcome a “new normal” to prevent another wave of infections.
On Monday, some key industries – including mining, construction and automobile assembly – are scheduled to partially reopen.
*Mr López-Gatell stressed that the re-opening of these industries will be largely preparatory, with a broader restart of businesses not scheduled until 1 June.*
Government data shown on Thursday also pictured more than half of hospitals in the capital, Mexico City, were at capacity with coronavirus patients.
Earlier this month, Mexico gained a shipment of more than 200 ventilators bought from a US firm.
Source___BBC News
Russia now has second highest virus case toll after US
Russia has recorded 232,000 cases of coronavirus – the second highest toll in the world after the US.
In the last 24 hours the country has confirmed 10,899 infections, the tenth consecutive day that number has been above 10,000.
Among the infected is President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, local media report.
He is the newly high profile official to test positive, after Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin caught the illness.
The news comes the day after President Putin eased the country’s isolation. Factory and construction workers resumed to work on Tuesday, though Mr Putin gave regions freedom to set limitations depending on local situations.
In spite of the high number of recorded cases, Russia’s death toll is only 2,116 as of now.
*Government officials say the country’s mass testing programme is responsible for that low mortality rate, but many believe the number is in fact far higher.*
As of now, authorities in St Petersburg have put out a fire in an intensive care unit, which killed five coronavirus patients and forced the leaving of about 150 people.
Source___BBC News
Nigeria Confirms 242 New COVID-19 Cases, Toll of infections Now 4,641
Nigeria has confirmed 242 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the country’s total infections to 4,641.
In a tweet late Monday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 88 new cases in Lagos, 64 in Kano, 49 in Katsina and 13 in Kaduna.
As said by the health agency, Ogun state had nine cases, Gombe six, Adamawa four, and the FCT three.
Six other states – Ondo, Oyo, Rivers, Zamfara, Borno, and Bauchi – reported one case each.
Source___Channels TV
Gambia now has 20 active Covid-19 cases
The Ministry Health has make this known that two people in their twenties have tested positive for coronavirus, taking the number of active cases in the country to 20.
One of the 2 cases is the first case recorded in Western 2 Region. Both cases are in their twenties but were taken into quarantine in different circumstances. While one has been in quarantine for being a close contact of the 11th case, the other was taken into quarantine on account of recently returning to the country from neighbouring Senegal.
“One of the previously reported probable cases has tested negative after being re-sampled. He is still required to complete his mandatory quarantine period. Out of a total of 77 test results received, 75 were negative and 2 tested positive for COVID-19 whereas 5 persons were newly taken into quarantine (3 from CRR and 2 from Serekunda – all close contacts of confirmed cases).”
Bittaye said 6 people were send home after testing negative for COVID-19 upon finishing of the required quarantine period.
“Follow-up period for 22 low-risk contacts has elapsed without any of them exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19. As such they will no longer be followed. The country currently has 100 persons under quarantine; 10 active cases and 2 probable cases,” he explained.
Source___Standard Newspaper
State Governor of Nigeria El-Rufai Confirms Two More COVID-19 Deaths In Kaduna State
Kaduna State has confirmed two more deaths from the coronavirus pandemic.
The state governor, Nasir El Rufai, disclosed this in a late-night tweet on Saturday that the casualties were confirmed in Makarfi and Zaria Local Government Areas of the state.
He elucidated that the deaths involved a senior citizen from Makarfi and a lady from Zaria.
Governor El-Rufai also make known that two more persons have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of active cases in Kaduna state to 87.
As said by him, the two new cases include a male from Igabi and a female from Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna.
The state confirmed its initial death from COVID-19 on May 2 – a pensioner civil servant.
The victim was said to have obscured his travel history to Kano and died before the result of his test came out.
This brings the number of deaths from COVID-19 in the state of Kaduna to three now.
Source___Channels TV
Five Footballers from Uppermost leagues Test Positive For COVID-19 In Spain
Five players from Spain’s topmost two leagues have tested positive for coronavirus, La Liga confirmed on Sunday.
Players in Spain’s top-flight and Segunda division were permitted to take on individual work at training grounds last week.
The move was the inception of a lurch training programme, with the aim to resume competitive games in the middle of June.
La Liga insist spotting out infected players through positive tests are part of that plan.
The five players, who have not been formally named, will now be quarantined at home and tested again “in the next few days”.
They will be permitted to return to their club’s training programme only after obtaining two successive negative test results.
*The medical protocol for training is strict and includes players arriving already changed and at specific times to avoid contact with others. They wear masks and gloves, and have their temperatures taken before entering the premises. At the end of training, they take away a bag of fresh kit for the next day and shower at home.*
The league have not formally make public the duration for the restartimg of competitive matches although Leganes coach Javier Aguirre said last week the preferred date is June 20.
That could correlate with the Spanish government’s de-escalation programme, which incorporates outside events being permitted to go ahead in their fourth and final phase, as long as they are attended by less than 400 people.
Source___Channels TV
Prime Minister Boris Johnson discloses ‘conditional plan’ to reinstate society
Boris Johnson has disclosed a “conditional plan” to reinstate society, letting people in England to take up more time outdoors from Wednesday.
The PM also said people who are not able to work from home should go back to their workplace – but keep away from public transport.
He said a new Covid 19 wide awake System with five levels would govern how swiftly lockdown limitations could be eased.
He anticipated the next step “at the earliestby 1 June” would be for some students to resume school in England
The next step could see some helpfulness businesses and other public places resume – “if the numbers support it” – but not earlier than 1 July.
He said these steps formed part of a “first sketch of a roadmap for reopening society”.
The PM added: “This is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week. Instead we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures.”
Mr Johnson also confirmed that fines for the “small minority who break” lockdown rules will increase.
Source___BBC News
Gambia reports 18 Covid-19 cases
The acting director of health services, Dr Mustapha Bittaye on Thursday revealed that one person has tested positive for Covid-19, out of the mass screening made in Bakau last Sunday.
The latest case brings the total number of recorded Covid-19 cases in The Gambia to 18.
Dr Bittaye said: “A new laboratory confirmed case has been recorded bringing the number of Covid-19 cases to 18. Another probable case has also been recorded. Both the newly confirmed case and the probable case are result of samples collected from the mass screening held in Bakau.”
He said while the confirmed case shows symptoms similar to Covid-19, the presume case is asymptomatic.
“Out of a total of 194 test results received, 192 tested negative, 1 inconclusive and 1 positive and 5 people have been taken into quarantine.”
The country right now has 101 persons under quarantine, 8 active cases and 3 presume cases. A total of 1029 tests were made, 18 positive, 323 completed quarantine, 737 contacts track down and 310 completed follow-ups,” Dr Bittaye added.
The new case is confirmed to be a Senegalese national resident in Bakau.
Credit___Standard Newspaper
Court in Nigeria Fines Man Forty Thousand Naira Over Failure To Wear Face Mask
An Ado Ekiti Magistrate Court has charged a fine of forty thousand naira on one Vincent Ikechukwu for reluctant to use a face mask which has become compulsory in the state since the wake of COVID 19 Pandemic.
“The offender who is the first to face such penalty will also engage in community labour for three days in addition to the fine.”
Not Less than a hundred violators including clergymen have been given various punishments in Ekiti State for violation of government orders meant to check the escalation of COVID 19.
The State government had last week released a fresh guideline to put on hold movement and activities during the pandemic season as Governor, Kayode Fayemi notified that violators will be put behind bars and prosecuted according to the framework developed by the State Ministry of Justice.
Source___Channels TV
Coronavirus has built a fracture between the US and China that may take a generation to mend
The novel coronavirus has taken a lot of lives and livelihoods in both the United States and China.
But rather than bonding the two nations together to overcome the pandemic, it has sent their already stress relations on a rapid sinking spiral — and fanned the flames of a potentially dangerous strain of nationalism.
China has been denounced at home and abroad over its controling of the virus, especially during the initial escalation.
“Pushing back such criticism with increasingly fierce rhetoric, Beijing says it is merely “responding” to false accusations, particularly from the US.”
A few days later, US President Donald Trump refered the coronavirus the “Chinese virus,” putting the blame on China as the escalation began to take hold in major American cities.
But the ill feeling goes deeper than a mere war of words. “The Trump administration is reportedly drawing up plans to punish China for the pandemic — retaliation options include sanctions, canceling US debt obligations and drawing up new trade policies. Trump and several administration officials are also enlisting foreign allies to join the pressure campaign against China.”
Source___CNN
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