The sacrifices made to protect people during the coronavirus pandemic must not be squandered over the festive period, the World Health Organization’s chief said in a Christmas message. Millions were making “heart-wrenching sacrifices” by staying away from loved ones on Christmas Day, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a video clip posted to Twitter late Thursday, […]

Morocco said Thursday it had ordered 65 million doses of novel coronavirus vaccine, as the North African kingdom prepared to launch a vaccination campaign targeting 25 million people. “Preparations have reached very advanced stages,” Health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb said in a statement on the roll-out plans. “Field exercises covering all stages of the process […]

*UK variant not in Nigeria, but… -NCDC *To introduce Rapid Test Kits in 2021 *FCT running out of bed spaces By Omeiza Ajayi The Federal Government has rolled out new containment measures against the importation of COVID-19 particularly from the United Kingdom and South Africa, saying returnees from both countries are required to present two […]

A mutated coronavirus strain spreading in Britain is on average 56 percent more contagious than the original version, scientists have warned in a study, urging a fast vaccine rollout to help prevent more deaths. The new variant, which emerged in southeast England in November and is spreading fast, is likely to boost hospitalisations and deaths […]

More than a million people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in the United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Robert Redfield said Wednesday. “The United States achieved an early but important milestone today — jurisdictions have now reported that more than one million people have received their first […]

China on Thursday suspended flights to and from Britain after it reported a new, more infectious strain of the coronavirus. China has largely curbed the spread of Covid-19 within its borders, but authorities remain highly vigilant about the threat of “imported” virus cases. “Given the exceptional nature of the virus mutation and its potential impact […]

Israel announced Thursday that it will impose a nationwide lockdown from next week, its third of the Covid-19 pandemic, just days after it began vaccinations against the virus. “A general lockdown will be imposed from 17:00 (1500 GMT) on Sunday for two weeks,” a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. “There is an […]

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 1,133 new infections of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, bringing the total figure of infected persons to 80,922.  NCDC made this known via its verified website on Wednesday. More than 903,800 samples have been tested by the public health agency since the first confirmed case in February.  […]

Costa Rica was expected to receive its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines late Wednesday and planned to start vaccinations the following day, joining Mexico among the first Latin American countries to begin mass immunization campaigns. “Tonight we are going to receive the first vaccines. Tomorrow the first Costa Ricans will be vaccinated,” President Carlos Alvarado […]

By Sola Ogundipe The Federal Government is investigating claims by Nigerian scientists that the mutated variant of the coronavirus recently discovered in the United Kingdom has been existing in Nigeria for several months. The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, who disclosed this, said the PTF is in […]

When the coronavirus pandemic shuttered restaurants in California, Aleida Ramirez lost her job as a waitress, plunging her — along with many other single mothers — into a vicious cycle of poverty, unpaid bills and reliance on food banks. The pandemic has been particularly hard on women who work in the service sector, which has […]

Sydney on Wednesday eased lockdown restrictions for Christmas after Australia’s largest city reported a second day of new coronavirus cases in the single digits. Amid a record testing and tracing effort, just eight new cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, prompting authorities to announce all residents could have at least some visitors over […]

…Says Pandemic ‘ll remain for sometime By Johnbosco Agbakwuru NATIONAL Coordinator, Presidential Task Force, PTF, on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, Tuesday, said that the nation’s health system has become fragile and may not withstand the effect of a major outbreak of the pandemic or other infections. Dr. Aliyu also said that COVID-19 will be in […]

The Moroccan government announced a nationwide curfew and other restrictive measures Monday, as it seeks to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The curfew will be in place between the hours of 9:00 pm (2000 GMT) and 6:00 am and the new measures — also including a ban on parties and public gatherings — […]

Sydney has seen a two-day dip in coronavirus cases after Australian authorities imposed a snap lockdown and residents flocked to testing centres in record numbers, but officials have cautioned the outbreak is still “evolving”. A Covid-19 cluster on Sydney’s northern beaches has grown to 90 cases since emerging last week, sending the area’s picturesque seaside […]