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Brazil’s Bolsonaro sees second health minister quit
Brazil’s health minister has step down after less than a month in the job following arguments over of the government’s dealing of the country’s spreading coronavirus dilemma.
Nelson Teich had find fault with a decree put forward by President Jair Bolsonaro permitting gyms and beauty parlours to resume work.
Though, he gave no ground for his stepping down at a press conference.
His antecedent was removed after contradicting with Mr Bolsonaro.
The extreme-right president is still keeping on to oppose lockdown measures.
He has lessoned the virus as “a little flu” and has said the escalation of Covid-19 cannot be stopped, attracting global condemnation.
Brazil has lately burst past Germany and France in terms of its coronavirus toll, becoming one of the world’s threatened vwith not less than 200,000 cases. The latest daily figures on Thursday showed 844 new deaths reported, bringing the official death toll to 14,000.
At his news conference, Mr Teich did not bring forward why he had stepped down. He just thanked President Bolsonaro for giving him the privilege to serve as a minister as he praised healthcare workers.
But there is still a clashed between him and the president over many aspects of how the government has tackled the spiralling epidemic.
Source___BBC News
‘Overthrown” vaccine expert says US is cladding its ‘darkest winter’
A one time top US health official has told Congress the country could face its “darkest winter in modern history” because of the coronavirus.
Rick Bright guided the government agency in the verge of developing a vaccine, but was pulled out from his post last month.
Mr Bright says he was removed from the job after his refusal to advocate an untested drug treatment being proclaimed as a “game changer” by President Trump.
Mr Trump has declared Mr Bright is a “disgruntled” employee.
Mr Bright also told the House of Representatives subcommittee on health “lives were lost” because of government “inaction” in the early stages of the escalation.
*He said he first spoke out about a medical equipment shortage in January, raising the issue to the “highest levels” of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), but “got no response”.
During his testimony, Mr Bright warned that the US’s “window of opportunity” to deal with the coronavirus was “closing”.*
“If we fail to improve our response now, based on science, I fear the pandemic will get worse and be prolonged,” he said.
“Without better planning, 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history.”
Mr Bright also explained to the subcommittee that in January he was sent an email he would “never forget”, from a distributor of medical-grade face masks who notified of a severe scarcity.
Source___BBC News
Kano State in Nigeria Quarantines Over 2000 Almajiris
Kano state government in Nigeria has quarantined over 2000 Almajiris to restraint the escalation of COVID-19 in the state, the second focal point of the virus after Lagos State.
The Kano state Commissioner of Health Ibrahim Tsanyawa made this known to Channels Television that a team of quick response experts have been coached to manage the Almajiris at their quarantine centres.
Mr Tsanyawa made known that the trainees were chosen from medical doctors, nurses, community health workers and laboratory scientists to check and screen the Almajiris at their camps in Kiru, Gabasawa and Karaye Local Government Areas of the state.
Source___Channels TV
Avianca, one of Latin America’s Substantial airlines, files for bankruptcy
Colombian airline Avianca (AVH) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US Southern District of New York on Sunday, laying blame on its collapse on the “unforeseeable impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” according to a company statement.
Avianca, which was initiated in 1919, professes to be the world’s second-oldest continuously running airline. As of the end of last year, it was the third-largest airline in Latin America based on market share, after Chile’s LATAM Airlines (LTM) and Brazil’s GOL Linhas Aéreas (GOL), according to Euromonitor.
*The carrier is also part of the Star Alliance, the industry group that includes other big players such as Lufthansa (DLAKY) and Singapore Airlines. Last year, a holding company affiliated with United Airlines (UAL) bought a majority stake in Avianca.*
Avianca is the latest major airline to surrender to the loss of business from the pandemic, which has caused bearers to rip up their flight schedules, ground planes and put staff on non payable leave.
The attempt to file for bankruptcy was made with the intention to “protect and preserve operations” as the escalation continues, it said. Avianca directly employs 21,000 people throughout Latin America, including more than 14,000 in Colombia, where it serves as the country’s national carrier.
In insertion to gaining bankruptcy protection, the company plans to shut down its business in Peru to cut costs and “renew its focus on core markets.”
Source___CNN
White House staff intructs to wear masks
White House staff have been instructed to wear masks when going in the West Wing after two aides confirmed Conoravirus positive
The instruction comes after an aide for Vice-President Mike Pence and a valet for President Trump fell ill.
Entering into the white house without a mask in the Rose Garden for a press orientation on Monday, however, the president said he did not need to follow the directive because he kept “far away from everyone”, and played down the White House infections.
“We have hundreds of people a day pouring into the White House” each day, he said. “I think we’re doing a good job containing it.”
Three members of the White House coronavirus task force went into self-isolation for two weeks after possible exposure to the illness.
They include Dr Anthony Fauci, who has become the public face of the fight against the pandemic in the US.
Mr Pence’s press secretary Katie Miller, the wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller, confirmed positive for the virus on Friday.
Mr Trump make note of the White House spread, saying it was “basically one person” who had the virus and that people who were in contact had since tested negative.
Source___BBC News
White House task force members on self-quarantine
Three members of the White House coronavirus task force are self-isolating for two weeks after probable subjection to the pandemic.
Dr Anthony Fauci, who has become the leading face of the fight against the corona virus in the US, is one of those who will go into quarantine.
According to BBC, his agency, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he was at “relatively low risk” due to the level of his exposure.
Dr Fauci has tested negative.
*The 79-year-old will work from home for the time being and will be regularly tested, the institute said.
Her pinpointing came after a manservant for US President Donald Trump was also confirmed to have the illness.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Dr Robert Redfield and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Stephen Hahn are also on self-quarantine
*In a statement, the CDC said Dr Redfield, 68, had no symptoms and was not feeling unwell, but would also be teleworking for two weeks after “low risk exposure” to someone at the White House. It is unclear who this person is.*
And an FDA spokesman told Reuters news agency on Friday that 60-year-old Stephen Hahn was also on self-quarantine. The result of the test turns out negative, the spokesman said.
Source___BBC News
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 National Assembly indicts Finance minister of disdain, pressurize penalty
Members of the Gambia National Assembly have regretfully find fault with the budget transformation process instituted by the government to help contain the coronavirus pandemic.
The government make known a D500 million emergency fund and a D734 million food support from this year’s approved D21 billion budget to overcome the coronavirus outbreak, but lawmakers on finance and public account committee described the decision as “illegal” in the absence of a parliamentary approval.
Sidia Jatta, Fatoumatta Njai and Ya Kumba Jaiteh all went against that the minister of finance did not have the transformatio powers to transfer funds from one public account to the other without the approval of the National Assembly who consent to the original allocation bill.
“It is the position of the law that I am defending.You do not have the authority to do a virement because technically it was the parliament which decided on these laws and to change it you must come back to parliament to seek authority but you failed to do that and that is why I said you are in contempt of the parliament because we made it clear to you in our last meeting. It is not that we are opposed to expenditure on Covid-19, in fact for us the expenditure is too late but you insisted and went ahead to do something that is even worse than the first process,” Sidia added.
The Member for Banjul South Fatoumatta Njai said: “The ministry of finance is in contempt of what the National Assembly has approved and I think it’s about time we started enforcing strict penalties to ensure everybody adheres to the rules because this committee has powers as the high court.”
She encouraged lawmakers to look into the matter for a bona fide penalty to apply on the minister because he cannot be in his corner and start viring money without the authority of the parliament and those in leadership agencies.
Source___Standard Newspaper
Gambia’s King of Kora gives fair warning against Covid-19 negation
Kora king Jaliba Kuyateh has given fair warning that there is no room for rebuttal in the battle against Covid-19.
Speaking to The Standard at his house, Jaliba also make known that a conspiracy theory that the authorities are putting together financial resources through the use of Covid-19 as a launch-pad may worsen national efforts in controlling the escalation of the virus.
“It’s unfortunate to hear people say this [Covid-19] is a conspiracy and that it is not real. Some people are saying it’s politics because government is using the outbreak to solicit funds. But it [Covid-19] is real and it is affecting the world,” Jaliba, who was speaking in an interview with The Standard, he make known.
As said by the kora legend, The Gambia is singly at risk of the Covid-19 escalation because, in his words, the country’s borders are porous.
“We cannot dismiss the fact that Covid-19 is a threat to The Gambia because people freely enter the country without using recognized entry points. Also, this pandemic has caused fear and panic across the world so, let us intensify the battle against it,” he added.
*The multiple award-winning kora ambassador has already released a Covid-19 message on promoting prevention measures. In it, Jaliba highlighted the weak nature of the country’s health-care system, the need for the observance of social-distancing rules and how the pandemic has overwhelmed even the most powerful nations of the world.*
Source___Standard Newspaper
US unemployment results hit 33.3 million amidst virus
A further 3.2 million Americans search for unemployment benefits last week as the economic toll from the coronavirus pandemic continued to ascend.
The new applications brought the toll of jobless claims since mid-March to 33.3 million- or about 20% of the US workforce.
The toll of new claims confirmed each week by the Department of Labor has moderated since hitting a peak of 6.9 million in March.
But they remain extraordinarily high.
And the number of people having benefits has continued to rise, in spite recent moves to start re-opening in some parts of the country.
“The significant rise in continuing claims … is a little disappointing since it suggests few people are being recalled to work,” said Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at Capital Economics.
The impact has been felt through out the economy, disturbing medical practices, restaurants and administrative workers among many others.
Source___BBC News
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