The World Health Organization has warned that mutant strain of the coronavirus first found in the UK has spread to 50 territories of the world, even as the similar South African-identified strain is now found in 20 territories.

By Peter Duru, Makurdi Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has urged the people of the state to go for COVID-19 test to know their status, in order to complement government’s efforts in fighting the pandemic. He said it was only by going for the test that the status of people would be determined and […]

The number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 90 million, reaching 90,054,813 as of Wednesday, according to the latest numbers from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Globally, as of 9:47 am CET (0847 GMT) on Wednesday, there have been 90,054,813 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,945,610 deaths, reported to WHO. The U.S. has remained at […]

Australian Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said on Wednesday that he was “concerned” that the debate around the efficacy of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines could erode public confidence. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology recently called on the Australian government to pause its planned rollout of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccines, saying it might not […]

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 1,270  new cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of infections to 102,601. The NCDC disclosed this on its official website on Tuesday. The public health institute confirmed 12 new deaths in the past 24 hours. This takes the nation’s death toll to 1,373. Nigeria has […]

By Sola Ogundipe Recently, the World Health Organisation, WHO, in its Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation, SAGE, issued its policy recommendations for the rollout of the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use – the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. According to SAGE, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is safe and effective and there are […]

The Edo government says it has recorded 18 new cases of COVID-19, as active cases being managed at the state’s isolation and treatment centres rose to 215, according to a statement by the state’s COVID-19 Incident Manager, Dr Andrew Obi. The statement, issued on Tuesday, in Benin, quoted him as saying that out of the […]

By Sola Ogundipe Efforts to sequence the coronavirus strain discovered in Nigeria are advancing and the findings will be submitted to the World Health Organisation, WHO. The director of the Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof Sunday Omilabu, who disclosed […]

The National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) has directed States and FCT Coordinators to ensure strict compliance with COVID-19 prevention and safety protocols in all camps and other formations nationwide. Brig-Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim, NYSC Director-General, who gave the directive in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said that corps members were critical change agents in national […]

By Sola Ogundipe A new mutant strain of coronavirus has been discovered in Japan. It has similarities to that of the highly-contagious variants in the UK and South Africa. The mutation, which has not been spotted before, was found in four people who arrived on a flight from Brazil. A report in Nikkei Asia said […]

By Rotimi Ojomoyela, Ado-Ekiti In what could be described as a proactive move to prepare for the planned COVID-19 vaccines promised by the Federal Government, Ekiti State has acquired 187 solar-powered cold chain refrigerators for vaccine storage for its primary healthcare centres in the 177 wards of the state. Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi […]

Germany on Tuesday recorded its first case of the coronavirus variant sweeping South Africa in a member of a family that returned from a lengthy stay in the country in December. “After their arrival (on December 13), the family entered the required quarantine and got tested five days later. Those tests were negative,” a spokesman […]

Malawi’s transport minister and another senior cabinet member died from Covid-19 on Tuesday, the government said. Sidik Mia, 56, tested positive late last week and was isolating at home with mild symptoms. The minister, who was also vice president of the ruling Malawi Congress Party, passed away Tuesday morning. Local government minister Lingson Belekanyama also […]

By Peter Duru – Makurdi The Principal Private Secretary, PPS, to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, Mr. Stephen Amase has tested positive for COVID-19. Mr. Amase a close aide of the Governor made his status known in a statement he made available to newsmen Tuesday in Makurdi. The development is coming few days after […]

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: – Malaysia emergency – Malaysia’s king declares a nationwide state of emergency and parliament is suspended, with critics saying the measures are a bid by the government to cling to power. – China seals off city – Chinese authorities seal off a city of almost five […]