Tag: COVID-19

Nigeria to begin rollout of Covid-19 booster shots Dec. 10, FG declares

Aminu Imam

Nigeria to begin rollout of the much-awaited administration of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots December 10, as the nation moves to speed up one of the continent’s slowest vaccine rollout exercise ahead of a likely fourth wave. The approval by the Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, states that the booster doses will only be administered to individuals that have completed a two-dose regimen of AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer Bio-N-Tech, or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson. In an issued statement on Friday, the…

Read More

Covid-19: Stakeholders demand transparency in utilisation of N500bn stimulus fund

Aminu Imam

Key stakeholders in Nigeria’s health sector have demanded transparent and accountable utilisation of the N500 billion stimulus funds donated by the International Monetary Fund, (IMF), to Nigeria, to help combat Covid-19 related issues. The African Health Budget Network, (AHBN), coordinated by Aminu Magashi, has said every of the Federal Government’s Covid-19 fund and recovery plan touches the lives of all Nigerians, and as such, the public should be adequately informed on how each kobo is utilised. Speaking during a two-day annual conference of the Association of Health Journalists (ANHEJ), in…

Read More

Nigeria recruits churches, mosques to speed up mass vaccinations

Aminu Imam

In a bid to stop a surge in cases during the Christmas travel season and wary of the emergence of new variants, Nigeria is turning to religious leaders, churches and mosques to push a mass vaccination campaign. Those worries will likely deepen after the country yesterday, reported its first cases of the Omicron variant that has prompted new travel bans. The nation has so far mostly escaped the brunt of the global pandemic that ravaged Europe and elsewhere after coronavirus emerged in December 2019. Recorded cases are low — around…

Read More

Canada bans travellers from Nigeria, 9 other African countries over Omicron fears

Aminu Imam

Canada, yesterday, banned travellers from Nigeria, Egypt and Malawi over fears of the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, bringing to ten the number of African countries targeted by Ottawa, according to the AFP. This is just as members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives at plenary yesterday, mandated the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC), to step-up national response to control the emergence and spread of new Covid-19 omicron variant, in order to spare Nigeria the full brunt of the third wave of the pandemic. “Foreign nationals who have…

Read More

Covid: Boris Johnson announces tightening of rules after Omicron variant reaches UK

Aminu Imam

In an attempt to slow the spread of the new Covid-19 Omicron variant, the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has announced ‘temporary and precautionary’ measures after two cases of the new variant were detected. The UK Health Security Agency confirmed the cases, which are both believed to be connected and linked to travel to southern Africa, after genomic sequencing overnight. According to the new directive, in the UK, mask rules will be mandatory in shops and on public transport, while Omicron contacts will have to self-isolate and new arrivals will…

Read More

Covid-19 interventions: FG MDAs spend N2.3tr

Aminu Imam

…N9.9bn for handwashing, N94bn for youths The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Water Resources, got N9.9bn from the N2.3trillion Covid-19 Intervention Fund to implement the ‘wash programme’, which involves water sanitation and health projects. These details were revealed by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning in response to a Freedom of Information request sent to the ministry by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, (SAN). This is just as N94bn was disbursed for youth empowerment and job creation. The document, titled: ‘Re: Request for Information on Utilisation…

Read More

Covid-19 tests at airports: ‘Stop treating Nigerians like criminals, illegal immigrants’, Soyinka charges FG

Aminu Imam

Nigeria’s Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has charged the Federal Government on the need to quickly address the inhuman ways returning Nigerians are being treated by the nation’s immigration and the Ministry of Health, to avoid further loss of faith in the country. Soyinka made the appeal on Thursday, at a media briefing while sharing his harrowing experience and those of other Nigerians that returned to the country via France recently. According to Soyinka, Nigerians are being made to pass through unpleasant experiences at airports around the globe due to…

Read More

Saudi Arabia: Social distancing abolished at Makkah’s Grand Mosque

Aminu Imam

The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,  says it is abolishing the requirement of Social Distancing in Masjid Al Haram in Makkah and Masjid Al Nabawi in Madinah, from yesterday, Sunday. This comes after the Ministry of Interior ordered the complete opening of the Haramain Sharifain and relaxed the majority of the Health Precautions, which it said was in response to a sharp drop in daily infections and a considerable advancement of vaccination numbers. The Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah returned to operating at full capacity, with…

Read More

FG announces updated Covid-19 travel protocol

Aminu Imam

The Federal Government has released the revised travel protocol into Nigeria effective from Monday, 25th October, 2021. Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee and Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, issued a statement yesterday. The SGF said travellers arriving in Nigeria must present a negative Covid-19 PCR test result conducted not more than 72 hours before boarding. Henceforth, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated in-bound passengers will be required to observe a mandatory 7-day self-isolation, in addition to a Covid-19 PCR test on Day 2 and 7 after arrival. However,…

Read More

Covid-19 travel ban: Nigeria removes S/Africa, Turkey, Brazil from list of restricted countries

Aminu Imam

The Federal Government has removed South Africa, Brazil and Turkey from the list of restricted countries with an embargo placed on inbound non-Nigerian passengers. According to the Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on Covid-19, Boss Mustapha, the decision was taken after a careful review of the pandemic situation in the three countries. “Over several months, four countries were placed on high-level restrictions for travellers from such countries. The PSC has, after a review of the developments in these countries, decided to remove South Africa, Turkey, and Brazil from…

Read More