Faced with skyrocketing numbers of new Covid-19 cases in his state, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has risked antagonizing his own Republican Party by reimposing a statewide mask mandate and bolstering it with some additional tougher guidelines.
DeWine made the move on Wednesday as the number of new cases in Ohio jumped by 96 percent over the past two weeks and after nine straight days of logging 4,000 or more new Covid-19 infections a day in the state, the latest NBC News data showed.
And on Thursday, the state logged a record 7,101 new cases, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
“Our rural counties are leading in number of cases. In the spring and in the summer, they weren’t hit, so they weren’t used to that,” DeWine said Thursday on “CBS This Morning.” “But it’s just, it’s moving much faster than it moved in the spring or in the summer.”
Like the order that DeWine issued in July, the new mandate requires that Ohioans wear face coverings outside when it’s not possible to keep 6 feet away from other people.
But it also includes three new provisions. It requires businesses to post signs that says masks are requires at public entrances. It puts the onus on stores to make sure that employees and customers are wearing masks. And it also creates a Retail Compliance Unit that will do inspections to ensure compliance.
Businesses that fail to comply will get a written warning for the first offense. If it happens again, a store or business will be closed for up to 24 hours.
DeWine acknowledged that his revamped mask mandate will be a hard sell in his state, where supporters of President Donald Trump have protested against having to wear masks and restrictions on the economy aimed at combating Covid-19.
“I think people are really tired. I mean they’re just really fatigued with this whole situation,” DeWine said in the CBS interview.
But if the state's latest moves don’t slow the spread, DeWine said he might have to take more draconian steps.
“If we don't turn this thing around quickly, we're going to have no choice but to close bars, fitness centers as well,” DeWine said in a CNN interview. “But, you know, my message to Ohioans is, it's not so much what I order or what the health department orders. It's really what you do in your individual life. You can control this, and it really is true.”

Covid-19 is still continuing, and even the number of infected people is still increasing. We can only do a good job of protection in strict accordance with the requirements of the government, and it is better to stay at home. Until now, if we don’t pay attention to it, the situation will only become more and more serious. Some leaders of some countries only pay attention to the general election, but not to the situation of covid-19. This will make covid-19 out of control and affect all regions of the country.

For the third week in a row, Nigeria’s new weekly COVID-19 infections have increased, a PREMIUM TIMES‘s review of official data shows.
This paper reported how new cases increased by 32 per cent in the 44th week of the pandemic. Also, in the following week (November 1-7), the country recorded 937 fresh cases, a two per cent increase from the preceding week’s record.
However, last week, the 46th week of the pandemic (November 8 to 14), Nigeria recorded 1,206 new cases, a 22 per cent increase from the previous week’s figures.
Further analysis of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) data showed that last week’s record is the highest the country reported in the past six weeks. 
The last time the country recorded a higher weekly figure was the 2,142 cases reported between September 26 and October 3.
The increase in new cases last week occurred despite over 50 per cent reduction in the number of tests carried out. 
A total of 24,210 samples were collected for testing last week as against the 56,089 tested the previous week. Since the pandemic broke out in February, a total of 705,809 samples have been collected in the country for testing. 
The increasing number of COVID-19 cases might be as a result of the laxity on the part of Nigerians and the government about adhering to and enforcing COVID-19 safety protocols.
This paper had earlier examined how Nigeria is gradually slipping into the second wave of the pandemic like some other countries of the world, going by the increasing cases. 
 
Countries across Europe are seeing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases and have begun to declare a second lockdown to curb the spread of the respiratory disease.
England, Portugal, and Hungary are among the nations in a second lockdown as the new wave of infections sweeps through, shattering efforts and responses to keep the contagion at bay.
Less recoveries and deaths 
A PREMIUM TIMES analysis also showed that there was a slight reduction in the number of COVID-19 patients discharged and deaths recorded last week. 

 A total of 1,146 persons recovered and were discharged last week, which represents a five per cent decrease when compared to the previous week’s record of 1,209.
 Also, Nigeria recorded nine deaths last week. A total of 10 persons died of COVID-19 complications in the previous week.

Nigeria on Wednesday ratified its membership of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) less than a month before the deadline to do so expires.
"The Federal Executive Council (FEC) today Ratified Nigeria's membership of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), ahead of the December 5, 2020 deadline. The AfCFTA Agreement comes into effect on the 1st of January 2021," a tweet from the Nigerian government said.
Nigeria, Africa's largest economy and most populous nation, becomes the latest country to ratify membership of the free trade agreement. The agreement has so far been ratified by at least 30 African Union member states.
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the AfCFTA is, by the number of participating countries, the largest trade agreement since the formation of the World Trade Organization.
Its implementation will form a $3.4 trillion economic bloc with 1.3 billion people across the continent and is expected to probably double intra-Africa trade through better harmonization and coordination of trade liberalization.
The first commercial deal under the AfCFTA is expected to take place on January 1, 2021 as outstanding discussions will take place online. Disruptions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic forced a delay of the implementation of the agreement initially set for the beginning of July.
The African Union said the AfCFTA will offer Africa an opportunity to reconfigure its supply chains, reduce reliance on others and speed up the establishment of regional value chains which will boost intra-Africa trade.
This is an exciting thing, and our country has taken another big step forward. Becoming a member of AfCFTA can promote the economic development of our country. Especially the world is still experiencing the impact of COVID-19, and we must seek global development and cooperation. This is really happy!

In northern Nigeria, uninterrupted conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic reflects how little influence a public health crisis can have in slowing down violence. Armed jihadist groups, such as Boko Haram, have rejected any notion of a ceasefire with the Nigerian government. Since 2018, jihadi violence has been increasing in the Lake Chad Basin in the form of targeted, high-profile attacks against military personnel. During the pandemic, armed groups have purposely disrupted the public health response, including spreading misinformation about COVID-19. Meanwhile, in northern Nigerian states worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgency, “mysterious deaths” have been reported, indicating a likelihood that there are COVID-19 cases in these regions that are unaccounted for.
For Boko Haram, as we have seen with other armed groups in other conflict-fragile countries, COVID-19 is seen as an opportunity. One faction, known as the People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad (JAS), encouraged people to gather together—against precautionary measures—to end the outbreak through community prayer. This and other statements have fed widespread skepticism that social distancing is necessary. An affiliate of ISIS in West Africa (ISWAP) celebrated the economic downturn caused by the virus, hoping it would divert government attention and increase fragility. In reality, however, the pandemic has yet to bring any significant aid to the jihadist movement.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell, currently a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, explains that “COVID is essentially irrelevant” to the security environment in Nigeria. He argues that, as cases remain low, COVID will have little long-term effect in the trajectory of the state. Violence in the Lake Chad Basin and economic turmoil have plagued Nigeria long before the pandemic and it seems COVID-19 may have little impact in relieving violence.
Although food insecurity is a longstanding issue in Nigeria—it ranks 93rd out of 117 countries on the Global Hunger Index—economic disruptions from COVID should not be ignored. Lockdowns have affected the food supply chain, leading to higher prices on staple foods such as rice and wheat. Food insecurity from the pandemic is most likely to effect the already vulnerable populations in the north, where more than 75% of impoverished Nigerians live, further driving fragility in this region.
The case of Nigeria suggests that the UN’s call for a global ceasefire during the pandemic was optimistic. If anything, armed groups, such as Boko Haram, rely on instability and a distracted government to gain territory in their struggle. In all, the relatively small outbreak of COVID in Nigeria suggests that it could be a small blip in the greater trajectory of Nigeria’s security future.

The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record significant increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 63,508 confirmed cases.
On the 5th of November 2020, 180 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria, having carried out a total daily test of 4,454 samples across the country.
To date, 63,508 cases have been confirmed, 59,748 cases have been discharged and 1155 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 673,183 tests have been carried out as of November 5th, 2020 compared to 668,729 tests a day earlier.
In a move to combat the spread of the pandemic disease, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days, which took effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020.
The movement restriction, which was extended by another two-weeks period, has been partially put on hold with some businesses commencing operations from May 4. On April 27th, 2020, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari declared an overnight curfew from 8 pm to 6 am across the country, as part of new measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19. This comes along with the phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos, and Ogun States, which took effect from Saturday, 2nd May 2020, at 9 am.

The most important thing we should do now is how to protect ourselves, instead of putting ourselves in danger.

The federal government has urged those who took away medicines and vaccines stored in its warehouses across the country to return them to avoid harmful effects.

The Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorinmibe Mamora, who spoke at a media briefing by the Presidential Taskforce on control of COVID-19 on Thursday in Abuja, said that some of these vaccines could still be useful if they are returned immediately without damage.

Mamora said: "I want to use this opportunity to appeal to our youths to stop crushing our medical supply stores. Most of these drugs are kept under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. Destruction of these conditions will render them ineffective and in some cases poisonous."

He said that Nigeria Centre for Disease Control's (NCDC) medical warehouse in Idu Industrial Estate in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) is stocked with medical and laboratory equipment, adding that destruction of items will impart negatively to the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mamora, who said that the consistent drop in new COVID-19 infections is encouraging state governments to shut down isolation centres, however appealed to them not to be in a hurry to do so that the country will not be caught unawares in the event a second wave of the disease.

He said that the country's current fatality rate is less than 1.8 per cent, which is less than 2.4 per cent fatality rate in African and 2.8 per cent globally.

Nigeria's chief of police has ordered the immediate mobilisation of all police resources to put an end to days of street violence and looting.

Mohammed Adamu said criminals had hijacked anti-police brutality protests and taken over public spaces.

A new wave of looting was reported on Sunday, a day after Mr Adamu ordered police to end the "violence, killings, looting and destruction of property".

Protests calling for an end to police brutality began on 7 October.

The demonstrations, dominated by young people, started with calls for a police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars), to be disbanded.

How the End Sars protests have changed Nigeria forever
President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the Sars unit - accused of harassment, extortion, torture and extrajudicial killings - days later, but the protests continued, demanding broader reforms in the way Nigeria is governed.

They escalated after unarmed protesters were shot in the nation's biggest city, Lagos, on Tuesday. Rights group Amnesty International said security forces killed at least 12 people. Nigeria's army has denied any involvement.

Lagos has in recent days seen widespread looting of shops, malls and warehouses, and property has been damaged, with the businesses of prominent politicians targeted. A number of buildings have been torched and prisons attacked.

On Sunday, there were reports of government warehouses being ransacked in the central city of Jos, as well as in Adamawa and Taraba states, with people taking away food and agricultural supplies.

There were similar reports of looting from warehouses in Bukuru city, near Jos, on Saturday.

The warehouses were said to have stored food supplies for distribution during lockdowns imposed to help control the spread of Covid-19.
President Buhari has said that at least 69 people have died in street violence since the protests across Nigeria began - mainly civilians but also police officers and soldiers.

On Saturday, the Nigerian police force tweeted that Mr Adamu, the inspector general of police, had told them "enough is enough" and ordered officers to "use all legitimate means to halt a further slide into lawlessness".

A group that has been key in organising the demonstrations in Lagos had on Friday urged people to stay at home.

The Feminist Coalition also advised people to follow any curfews in place in their states.

The group said it would no longer be taking donations for the #EndSARS protests.

The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 61,558 confirmed cases.

On the 19th of October 2020, 118 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria, having carried out a total daily test of 11,794 samples across the country.

The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 61,558 confirmed cases.

On the 19th of October 2020, 118 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria, having carried out a total daily test of 11,794 samples across the country.



To date, 61,558 cases have been confirmed, 56,697 cases have been discharged and 1125 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 590,635 tests have been carried out as of October 19th, 2020 compared to 578,841 tests a day earlier.

COVID-19 Case Updates- 19th October 2020,
Total Number of Cases – 61,558
Total Number Discharged – 56,697
Total Deaths – 1,1125
Total Tests Carried out – 590,635
According to the NCDC, The 118 new cases are reported from 10 states – Lagos (51), Rivers (26), Imo (12), Osun (, Plateau (6), FCT (5), Kaduna (4), Ogun (3), Edo (2), Niger (1)

Meanwhile, the latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 20,696, followed by Abuja (5,923), Plateau (3,587), Oyo (3,415), Rivers (2,735), Edo (2,645), Kaduna (2,532), Ogun (1,983), Delta (1,812), Kano (1,741), Ondo (1,657), Enugu (1,313), Kwara (1,050), Ebonyi (1,049), Osun (916), Katsina (904), Abia (898), Gombe (883). Borno (745), and Bauchi (710).

Imo State has recorded 610 cases, Benue (484), Nasarawa (478), Bayelsa (403), Ekiti (329), Jigawa (325), Akwa Ibom (295), Anambra (275), Niger (274), Adamawa (248), Sokoto (162), Taraba (117), Kebbi (93), Cross River (87), Zamfara and Yobe (79), while Kogi state has recorded 5 cases only.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control(NCDC) has confirmed 113 new cases of COVID-19 in the country.

The NCDC, which made this known on its official twitter handle on Saturday, stated that total infections now stand at 61,307.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that a total of 14 states recorded the 113 infections in the country in the last 24 hours.
According to the NCDC, the new cases bring the nation’s confirmed COVID-19 cases to 61,307.

The NCDC also noted that four persons died from complications resulting from the virus.

It added that COVID-19 fatalities in the country increased from 1,119 to 1,123 as of Saturday night.

The agency also stated that discharged patients include 4,161 community recoveries in Lagos State managed in line with new case management guidelines.

According to the health agency, Lagos State recorded the highest number of cases with 37 cases, followed by Kaduna State with 16, and Ogun with 11.

Others are Plateau-11 Taraba-8 Rivers-7 FCT-6 Enugu-4 Niger -4 Edo-3 Delta-2 and Imo-2.
“Till date, 61307 cases have been confirmed, 56557 cases have been discharged and 1123 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” it said.

The health agency said that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre activated at Level 3 has continued to coordinate the national response activities across the country.

Meanwhile, the agency has announced the inclusion of the Infectious Disease Laboratory of Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, in the NCDC Molecular Laboratory Network.

“COVID-19 testing at any lab in the NCDC network is free of charge,” it added.

When conducting free tests for COVID-19, we must not forget to take protective measures, and I suggest designating how many people to test for free every day to avoid cross-spread.

Doctors and public health experts are concerned that Saturday may be too soon for President Trump to resume activities, both for his own health and the safety of those around him.
"Reckless," Dr. Eric Topol of the Scripps Research Translational Institute said in an email after Trump's physician said the president could resume "public engagements" as soon as Saturday.
Trump has said he wants to do events as early as Saturday, but the White House has not released information about what his schedule will entail. His doctors last updated the public on his condition late Thursday, and it was not clear when the next update would be provided.
"We need the timeline of when he got infected ... to prove he isn't infectious," Topol wrote.
COVID-19 patients are supposed to remain in isolation for at least 10 days after their symptoms began to ensure they aren't still contagious and don't spread the virus to other people, according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"If his symptoms started Wednesday, that would imply that he was maximally infectious around the time of the debate," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said in an interview with NPR.
In that case, Saturday would be in line with the CDC's 10-day recommendation. But that scenario would also raise questions about the president's presence at the debate. If his symptoms began later, Saturday would be too soon, Walensky and others said.
"He is around other very important people. He should not put anyone in harm's way," Dr. Michael Mina, an infectious disease specialist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, wrote in an email.
"We know he fails to use a mask and continues to act irresponsibly in that manner," Mina wrote. "They should be working as diligently as possible to ensure that the president does not pose a clear and present danger to any other people."
Moreover, the CDC recommends people with more serious cases of the disease remain in isolation even longer — for up to 20 days. It's unclear how to characterize the president's case since so little information has been released. His doctors have given conflicting information, sometime suggesting it was a mild case. At the same time, he received treatment typically used in severe cases.
"I think it's not likely the case that the president had a severe bout, but again, more transparency would make that an easier determination to make," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
The steroid the president was prescribed could also potentially extend how long he may be infectious by suppressing his immune system's response to the virus, several experts said.
"The game changer here is the steroids," Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown School of Public Health, said in an interview. "There is now pretty good evidence it can lengthen viral shedding in COVID-19."
Allowing the president to resume activities prematurely "certainly is consistent with the idea of at every turn doing less than is appropriate," said Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
It's not known whether Trump's medical team has performed the kind of sophisticated testing that would detect living virus in his body, because information has been limited. That testing would be the only way to know for sure that Trump isn't contagious.
"If they find virus protein or they find culturable virus, then he would be likely to still be at risk of transmitting virus," Mina said. "If they find no viable virus and no protein, then it would be reasonable to assume that he is no longer infectious."
Beyond the implications for people around him, it was inadvisable for the president to resume activities for his own health, several doctors said.
"This is a 74-year-old gentleman who just had hospitalizing disease — perhaps a hospitalizing viral pneumonia," Walensky said. "Being out and about on the campaign trail may, in fact, not be the best thing for him. People generally take a little bit more time than that to convalesce."
Steroids tend to mask symptoms, making people feel like they're better than they really are, she noted.
Several experts said the scant information released about the president provides little insight into his current condition. A single measurement of his respiratory rate is meaningless, for example, they said. What would be more important is his blood oxygen level and respiratory rate after he exercises, they said.
"I would be interested in the oxygen saturation when he walks because it provides information about respiratory reserve," said Dr. Rajesh Gandhi, another infectious disease expert at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Mr. Trump is now more like an actor than a serious politician, and there are still many people on stage performing together around Mr. President. This is the power field of the United States?'

The Federal Government has released fresh guidelines for the reopening of schools in the country.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, said schools and educational bodies that plan to reopen must have detailed communication protocols that include parents, school health teams, school authorities and local state officials
He disclosed this during a briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Schools around the country have begun to reopen after more than five months of closure, as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel disease.
Giving an update on Thursday, Aliyu said, “The Federal Ministry of Education, the PTF and the NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control) have developed guidelines to ensure schools can reopen, minimise the risk of transmission and continue to operate safely.
“Schools and educational bodies that plan to reopen must have detailed communication protocols that include parents, school health teams, school authorities and local state officials.
“They must also have a system for providing regular updates for parents, staff and relevant authorities as well as communicate changes to procedures effectively and clearly to understand how COVID-19 can spread and how to mitigate the spread in line with official guidelines.”
The spread of the epidemic is an objective reality, and people's lives must continue. Even if the epidemic is over, schools cannot be opened immediately. Therefore, I am in favor of a planned start of school on the basis of thorough research on countermeasures. In this regard, we should learn from the lessons of the United States and not allow schools to become contagion centers.