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The Federal Government says there are pharmaceutical processes and standards that must be observed before endorsing any proposed herbal or homegrown drug for use by coronavirus patients in the country. The Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, made this known on Friday during a briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja. He said the health ministry would soon meet with scientists, researchers, and traditional medicine specialists in the country who have registered that they have one drug or the other for the treatment of Lethal virus. He noted that the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control would test such drugs to ascertain whether they are fit for human consumption, adding that such drugs would undergo clinical trials and this would require a few COVID-19 patients to willingly accept that the drugs be tested on them. Responding in Yoruba Language to a question asked by a reporter from an indigenous TV station, the ministe...

Britain plans to introduce a 14-day mandatory quarantine for most international arrivals, reports said Saturday, despite growing pressure on the government to relax virus lockdown measures. It comes as the UK, which has the world’s second-highest coronavirus death toll after the US, cautiously charts a way forward after imposing strict stay-at-home orders in late March. Apart from those entering the country from neighbouring Ireland, all people coming into Britain by air, sea and rail will be required to self-isolate for a fortnight, The Times reported. The newspaper said the new rule would be enforced by spot-checks on the address given by travellers, with possible penalties including fines of up to £1,000 ($1,200, 1,100 euros) or deportation. It said Prime Minister Boris Johnson would announce the measures on Sunday. The BBC reported that the two-week quarantine restriction was set to be brought in at the end of May, citing government sources and aviation in...

A suspect, Ifeanyi Asiegbuelam, has narrated how he helped the late billionaire kidnapper, Collins Ezenwa, popularly known as E-money, to kidnap many rich people from the South-East, especially in Imo and Abia states. However, Asiegbuelam, 32, lamented that despite aiding Ezenwa to perpetrate the crimes, he did not make him rich. Ezenwa, a dismissed police corporal, was killed in January 2018 during a gun duel with policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Imo State Police Command when he attempted to kidnap a South-African-based Nigerian businessman in Owerri. More than 13 buildings including a hotel, belonging to the late kidnapper were reportedly traced by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team to Abia, Imo and Enugu states, while seven cars, two SUVs, one Hilux truck, a commercial bus, two tipper-lorries and a trailer belonging to him were also recovered from several locations within the South-East. Asiegbuel...

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Friday, for the second time, ordered the extension of the lockdown by one week. Abiodun announced the extension while addressing journalists at the Governor’s Office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State. He said, “You, the entire people of Ogun State, have not elected me to make easy decisions. And tough decisions, we have to make. “Now, to preserve the lives of our people, we are persuaded to extend the current modified lockdown, which has been slightly eased, for another one week alongside the current guidelines. This will be reviewed, as usual, on a weekly basis.” Abiodun however, threatened to deal decisively with those smuggling people in and outside of the state in disregard of the interstate border closure. The governor added, “Reports reaching us have shown that many of our people are showing utter disregard for the precautionary guidelines, international best practices and safety measures rolled out, especially, during...

386 new cases of #COVID19 ; 176-Lagos 65-Kano 31-Katsina 20-FCT 17-Borno 15-Bauchi 14-Nasarawa 13-Ogun 10-Plateau 4-Oyo 4-Sokoto 4-Rivers 3-Kaduna 2-Edo 2-Ebonyi 2-Ondo 1-Enugu 1-Imo 1-Gombe 1-Osun 3912 cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria Discharged: 679 Deaths: 117

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has called on medical doctors and other healthcare professionals to shun unauthorised treatment of persons infected with coronavirus (COVID-19). He made the call on Thursday during the briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja, the nation’s capital. “All healthcare professionals and associated personnel should diligently follow safety infection prevention and control protocols – both inside and outside healthcare facilities, and not to indulge in unauthorised treatment of COVID-19 cases,” the minister said. He explained that the appeal was important to reduce the incidences of health workers getting infected with the disease. Ehanire noted that the government was committed to increasing its capacity for testing for coronavirus cases in the country. He said, “21 laboratories nationwide are now operational for COVID-19 testing as we work to drive up demands.” On the situation in Kano, the minister noted t...

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has issued an advisory on the use of cloth face masks. The disease control agency in a tweet via its official handle said on Wednesday that physical distancing remains vital in protecting oneself from COVID-19. The agency added that face mask alone is not the form of protection because the virus is primarily spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. “Remember, cloth face masks are to be used as an additional layer of physical distancing; a mask alone cannot protect you from #COVID19 “Please continue to maintain a distance of 2 metres between yourself and others at all times to stay safe,” the NCDC tweeted The use of cloth face mask ranging from Ankara fabric to other fabrics has been on the rise in Nigeria. The NCDC in its full advisory urged Nigerians to continue to wash their hands frequently, avoid large gatherings and adhere to other guidelines which are listed below; 1. Avoidin...

381 new cases of #COVID19 ; 183-Lagos 55-Kano 44-Jigawa 19-Zamfara 19-Bauchi 11-Katsina 9-Borno 8-Kwara 7-Kaduna 6-Gombe 5-Ogun 4-Sokoto 3-Oyo 3-Rivers 2-Niger 1-Akwa Ibom 1-Enugu 1-Plateau 3526 cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria Discharged: 601 Deaths: 107

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the waiver of import duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) for critical medical equipment and supplies. The Presidency revealed this in a series of tweets on Thursday, saying the waiver was for a period of six months in the first instance. It explained that the President’s action was part of measures put in place by the Nigerian government to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its economy. According to the Presidency, the waivers which are the latest of the fiscal policies also aim to boost the health infrastructure in the country. Meanwhile, President Buhari has directed the Nigeria Customs Service to ensure critical medical equipment and supplies were given expedited clearance at all times. He stressed that this should be done in line with the standard operating procedures for the clearance of humanitarian and relief materials. The Presidency noted that the measures to facilitate the importation of some COVID-19 essential me...