A few days ago, a publication made the rounds about the World Health Organisation (WHO) withholding supply of COVID-19 vaccines to some countries, one of which was Nigeria. The reason quoted was, amongst other things, that Nigeria does not have the requisite storage facilities for the vaccines, which are required to be stored at very low temperature – as low as minus 70 degrees Celsius in case of the Pfizer vaccine.
While WHO has through its country representative, Dr. Walter Mulombo, issued a statement to the contrary, it is hardly news that Nigeria does not have the cold chain equipment required to deliver vaccines to all its citizens. This much could also be read into the statement given by Dr. Mulombo.
Research has shown that energy security and access are key drivers of healthcare. In one of its reports, WHO confirmed that delivering the vaccines to the last mile user in developing countries will prove very challenging, particularly because of infrastructure and power deficit.
With the loss of vaccines (non-COVID) around the world due to temperature fluctuations amounting to $US34.1 billion annually, it is hardly rocket science to decide not to give limited vaccines to a country without the requisite facilities to store them.
The vaccine supply chain does not stop at the central medical repository but goes all the way to the states and cities, towns and villages and the vaccines would need proper storage to stay viable. Sustainable power supply can meet this demand. Yet many Nigerian healthcare facilities do not have access to power supply and for those that have, the supply is epileptic, merely reflecting the country’s poor power outlook. While the cold chain challenge equally affects most countries, with energy poverty already prevalent in Nigeria, it leaves the country’s over 200 million population extremely vulnerable.
Nigeria should not be sitting on her hands and crying wolf about WHO not giving her Pfizer vaccines, she should be working tirelessly to put the vaccine cold chain infrastructure in place and become vaccine-ready. The government should roll out strategic and effective plans to deploy renewable energy (particularly solar) solutions in form of solar fridges and freezers to healthcare centres up to the last mile. Sufficient funding should also be deployed towards scaling innovations around renewable energy (RE) cooling technologies to drive COVID-19 recovery.
Nigeria’s situation is reminiscent of the Holy Bible’s parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were foolish and five of whom were wise. For the foolish, even though also expecting the arrival of a bridegroom, unlike the wise, they failed to keep their lamps up with extra oil. They just waited and “hoped things would work out”.
ave countries that fall behind on vaccinating their population facing differentiated treatment like continuing restrictions on travel while other countries are allowed unrestricted travel. This will have economic consequences.
With grid power getting to only just 40% of Nigerians, off-grid electrification and cooling is key to beating the country’s COVID problem and deploying the vaccines effectively. It would be counterintuitive too if the off-grid solution is one that adds to environmental pollution as that would be robbing Peter to pay Paul. WHO’s statistics show that air pollution kills up to 7 million people worldwide every year, so any solution for storing vaccines should be targeted at also reducing emissions. Apart from RE options being cleaner, they are also efficient and more affordable than fossil fuel alternatives.
A proper renewable energy program and policy guidelines to encourage investment should be put in place at the Federal, State and Local government levels, particularly for underserved and last-mile communities who may otherwise never be able to access the vaccine. With rural populations being more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections and often lacking adequate healthcare to drive recovery, attention must be paid to them in all of this.
While India has rolled out a massive vaccination-ready programme with about 29,000 cold chain points, excluding walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers, deep freezers and solar refrigerators, Nigeria cannot honestly claim to be ready for the vaccines. The government should ramp up collaborative efforts with private sector and non-profit organisations, institutes of technology and vocational centres and entrepreneurs innovating around clean energy to drive COVID recovery through clean energy. Lessons can also be drawn from countries like Rwanda that have set up functioning climate-friendly cold chains for vaccine delivery. There is no escaping massive RE funding and support if Nigeria is to achieve vaccination and recovery for its population, so we might as well start now.

Nigeria's Presidential Task Force on Tuesday announced a six-month travel restriction against the holders of 100 passports who failed to comply with the mandatory Day 7 post-arrival COVID-19 test.
Africa's most populous country is facing an ongoing second wave of pandemic.
The 6-month travel restriction will be imposed “from Feb 5 to July 30, 2021,” the task force said Tuesday in a tweet.
This comes while Nigeria’s health authorities have confirmed six more COVID-19 deaths and 643 new infections in the last 24 hours.
“Till [Monday], 14,0391 cases have been confirmed, 11,4635 cases have been discharged and1,673 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control announced in its latest update.
Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos remains the most affected state with a tally of 344 COVID-19-related deaths and 51,771 infections.
It is followed by the country’s federal capital, Abuja, with 128 deaths and 17,858 infections, and Plateau State with 56 confirmed deaths and 8,342 infections, according to the official figures.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) could soon appoint the first woman and African to take the helm after the White House publicly endorsed her.
Nigerian economist Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is the frontrunner to take over as director-general after South Korea’s trade minister, Yoo Myung-hee, ended her campaign.
“In order to promote the functions of WTO and in consideration of various factors, I have decided to withdraw my candidacy,” Yoo said.
Okonjo-Iweala, who previously stressed the need for the WTO to play a role in helping poorer nations with COVID-19 vaccines — an issue on which its 164 members have failed to agree —praised Yoo for the post.
She said: "There is vital work ahead to do together."
President Joe Biden’s administration announced its “strong support” for Nigeria’s former finance minister on Friday. It also congratulated Yoo on her "strong campaign" for the role and for being a "trailblazer" as South Korea's first female trade minister.
The Biden administration said that the "US stands ready to engage in the next phase of the WTO process for reaching a consensus decision on the WTO Director General,” in a statement.
The Geneva-based trade-regulatory body, which selects its head by consensus, has been without a director-general since Roberto Azevêdo quit in August.
Okonjo-Iweala, 66, was favourite to lead the WTO last year, until former US president Trump who described the group as "horrible" and biased towards China, said he wanted Yoo to take up the post.
The rules of the WTO — which has existed in its current form since 1995 — require that none of its 164 members oppose the choice.
The secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), John Denton, said: “With geopolitical tensions high, the global economy in recession and vaccine nationalism threatening an equitable recovery, there is now no reason for further delay in filling this critical role with the well-qualified candidate at the ready.”

Rep. Jody Hice (GA-10) voted to overturn the November 3 election results and to nullify the votes of over 35,000 Clarke County voters, of nearly 2,500,000 Georgia voters, and of over 80,000,000 American voters. His actions went beyond protected speech and voting decisions. On the morning of Jan. 6, Hice urged supporters to “FIGHT” and stated “This is our 1776 moment” hours before thousands of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building in an attempt to overthrow an election, resulting in 5 deaths. 
Reflecting President Biden’s call for unity, the Athens-Clarke County Democratic Committee (ACCDC) feels it is important to listen to and work with Republicans to make life better for all Americans. Hice fanned flames with misinformation, intentionally or unintentionally helped to start a riot, and still objected to honoring election results after the attack. Section 3 of the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution is clear on the penalty for when a Congressman attacks the American institutions that unify us as a nation:
“No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress…under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.”
On Jan. 21, the ACCDC released a petition to the Committee on House Administration and the Committee on Ethics to investigate Hice to determine if he violated his oath of office to uphold the Constitution or any Rules of the House of Representatives. We call for him to face sanction, up to and including removal from the House of Representatives. The petition received over 1,000 signatures in less than two weeks after release. Due to the large interest, we have extended the signature collection period until February 10 when the petition will be sent to the appropriate U.S. committees.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 75 healthcare workers tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week across the country.
Its Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, made this known at the national briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja.
Ihekweazu said that the number of healthcare workers getting infected was becoming worrisome.
He said efforts were ongoing to ensure that health workers were actively protected against the virus.
“First, I’ll like to address the increasing number of COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers themselves.
“In the last one week, 75 healthcare workers were infected, but we can reduce this risk.
“For healthcare workers, please maintain a high index of suspicion at all times. We need you alive and well.
“This means that you should suspect COVID-19 in every case you meet until ruled out. Even, when ruled out, there is still a small risk of infection.
“We are rolling out the use of Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits (RDTs) in more health facilities over the next month, as an additional tool to protect healthcare workers.
“We remain deeply grateful for the efforts and commitment of healthcare workers across the country,” he said.
The NCDC director-general said that sadly last week, the country recorded 27 deaths in a single day.
“Every death recorded is a tragic occurrence and our health workers are working extremely hard to prevent these.
“Everything we think and do in terms of the response is focussed on trying to save lives,” he said.
Ihekweazu said the agency had started training health workers in five health facilities in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the use of RDTs in healthcare settings and would soon be in all Federal Hospitals.
“All five health facilities in the FCT have begun using these RDTs to test healthcare workers who are exposed, and patients who require surgery or specialised care.
“With this, we can reduce the risk of infection in healthcare facilities, which is a challenge.
“Any state government, hospital, corporate that wants to discuss the use of RDTs, how, which ones, when, please the guidance is on website ncdc.gov.ng.
“If you need support, drop us an email an info@ncdc.gov.ng and we will get back to you,” he said.
The NCDC boss said there was a need for doctors and nurses to be on the alert on suspicion of COVID-19 cases.
“Over the past weeks, we have had several reports from patients that have been managed for days, sometimes weeks without thought of being given a COVID test.
“Colleagues, we need to significantly raise our alert levels to symptoms that patients present with.
“COVID-19 should be ruled out first for patients with pneumonia symptoms, congested chest, fever, body pains, even vague symptoms.
“Please stay safe. A case with fever and fatigue could be COVID-19. It is important to ensure patients are tested for COVID-19 and appropriate personal protective equipment are used by healthcare workers,” he explained.
The director-general urged health workers to model the behaviours they would like to see in others.
“We must all work together to achieve a common goal. Be a leader and champion setting the example in your social circles. It not just by saying, it is also by doing.
“Show people you wear a mask when visiting, reinforce the public health measures (in your homes and other settings). Model the behaviour you want to see in others,” he advised.
Ihekweazu said the country was seeing the emergence of some stigma attached to COVID-19, and literally, people were avoiding testing, in case they test positive to the virus.
“Folk honestly, we do not do this with malaria, or Typhoid where there is no risk transmission, why with COVID ? Let's do this together.
“Most people who tested positive for COVID-19 recover. No one should face shame or stigma; this will only deter people from going for testing and inevitably prolong the pandemic.
“If feeling unwell, stay at home, avoid immediate self-medication and get tested for COVID-19 to rule it out. Isolate while you await the test results.
“If you test positive for COVID-19, notify others you have come in contact with. This enables them to take the necessary precautionary steps.
“If you are notified that someone you came in contact with tested positive for COVID-19, be responsible and get tested for COVID-19 and isolate, while you await your results,” he said.

I hope these infected medical staff can recover soon, they are all heroes!

Lagos state, which includes Nigeria’s commercial hub and biggest city, approved clinical trial of the drug Ivermectin to assess its effectiveness against Covid-19.

Ivermectin is an FDA-approved broad spectrum anti-parasitic agent that has been shown to have anti-viral activity against a broad range of viruses including SARS-CoV-2 and potentially cut the risk of Covid-19 deaths by as much as 75%, according to researchers at the University of Liverpool.


“While this medication has not yet been approved for the broad treatment of the coronavirus disease, the state government has however taken the bold step of ensuring we have adequate stocks,” state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said in a Twitter post.

Lagos is having a testing positivity rate of 24% with 9,856 active cases of the illness while oxygen demand has spiked to 300 to 400 cylinders from 70 cylinders a day as more people come down with symptoms, the governor said.

Nearly 2,000 people have died from the coronavirus in Africa’s most populous country of more than 200 million people since its first case on Feb. 27 last year. The country has recorded more than 131,000 cases.

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa has been found in the United States for the first time, with two cases diagnosed in South Carolina, state health officials said Thursday.

The two cases were discovered in adults in different regions of the state and do not appear to be connected. Neither of the people infected has traveled recently, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said.
"That's frightening," because it means there could be more undetected cases within the state, said Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious diseases physician at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. "It's probably more widespread."

The arrival of the variant shows that "the fight against this deadly virus is far from over," Dr. Brannon Traxler, South Carolina's interim public health director, said in a statement. "While more COVID-19 vaccines are on the way, supplies are still limited. Every one of us must recommit to the fight by recognizing that we are all on the front lines now. We are all in this together."
Viruses are constantly mutating, and coronavirus variants are circulating around the globe, but scientists are primarily concerned with the emergence of three. Other variants first reported in the United Kingdom and Brazil were previously confirmed in the U.S. Researchers believe these three variants may spread more easily.

As the variants bring a potential for greater infection risks in the U.S., pandemic-weary lawmakers in several states are pushing back against mask mandates, business closures and other protective restrictions ordered by governors.

States including Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky and Indiana are weighing proposals to limit their governors' abilities to impose emergency restrictions. The Wisconsin Legislature was expected to vote on repealing the governor's mask mandate. Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a constitutional amendment to strip its governor of many of his emergency powers.

Governors argue they need authority to act swiftly in a crisis, and limitations could slow critical emergency responses.

In South Carolina, the state health agency said the variant was found in one person from the state's coastal region and another in its northeastern corner. The state gave little other information, citing privacy concerns, though Traxler said neither of the people was contagious any longer.

Travelers boarding international flights to the United States have a big hurdle to clear beginning Tuesday.
For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began, all passengers ages 2 and older must present a negative coronavirus test taken no more than three days before their flight or proof they recovered from the virus within the past three months. Those who don't will be denied boarding. Canada, the United Kingdom and many other countries already have this entry requirement.
The new U.S. requirement was announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 12 and formalized in President Joe Biden's executive order on COVID-19 safety in domestic and international travel last week. It significantly broadens a CDC order on Christmas Eve that required tests on for passengers flying into the U.S. from the United Kingdom.
The goal, of course: to help stop the spread of thecoronavirus that causes COVID-19. International travel is still severely restricted around the globe, but U.S. vacationers craving a getaway have been flocking to beaches in Mexico and the Caribbean in part because of a lack of restrictions in many destinations.
There were 2.1 million international passenger arrivals in the United States from Dec. 1 to Dec. 28, an average of 76,000 passengers a day and quadruple the number of passengers in June, Martin Cetron, director of the CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine told USA TODAY.
There is already evidence the testing requirement, which means travelers have to find a place to get tested during their vacation and risk being stranded if they test positive, is having an effect. United Airlines last week said it has seen an increase in cancellations and a decline in bookings to Mexican beach resorts since the testing rule was announced.
Tammy McQuitty took a New Year's trip with her family to Cancun and felt safe with the COVID-19 protocols in place, so she and her husband planned a trip to Puerto Vallarta for February. The frequent travelers from Colorado Springs, Colorado, visit Mexico about two to three times a year.
They canceled the Puerto Vallarta trip the day after the CDC announced the testing requirement. There were just too many unknowns, McQuitty said. 
"What if one of us tests positive and one of us doesn't? Where do we stay? What do we do?'' she said. "Everything was so up in the air it was absolutely not worth the risk.''
The Secrets resort they booked through American Airlines vacations is offering an insurance policy of sorts, a free stay of up to 14 days if they were forced to stay in Mexico and quarantine after testing positive for their return flight. (The policy is in effect through March 31.)
"I'm like, 'There's got to be some kind of catch in that because that's an awful lot of money they're going to lose,'' she said.
The couple plan to visit Savannah, Georgia, instead.
The U.S. State Department on Monday reminded travelers about the new rule and reiterated its stance that U.S. citizens should reconsider nonessential travel abroad.
It cited three new risks travelers face given the new testing requirement: testing availability and turnaround times; possible stranding abroad if someone tests positive; and difficulty accessing or financing medical care in a foreign country.

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria will seek to procure vaccines that are less dependent on cooling facilities, the head of the country’s primary healthcare agency said on Tuesday, adding that talks were in progress with Russia and India to procure such vaccines.
Africa’s most populous country, where officials recorded low coronavirus numbers through much of 2020, is in its second wave of infections and has seen cases surge in recent weeks.
Nigerian health authorities have said the country is working with the COVAX programme backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) that aims to provide vaccines to poorer countries.
Faisal Shuaib, who heads the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, has said Nigeria expects to receive 100,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by early February under the scheme. The vaccine must be stored at ultra-low temperatures.
“Our plan now is not to over-invest on ultra cold equipment for vaccines like that of Pfizer vaccines, but go for vaccines that need less cooling facilities,” Shuaib told reporters in the capital, Abuja, during a tour of cold storage facilities.
“We are currently engaged in talks with Russia and India to get more vaccines,” Shuaib said, restating the target of vaccinating 70% of Nigeria’s 200 million inhabitants within the next two years.
Shuaib did not provide details of quantities discussed and said vaccines would require certification by Nigeria’s drugs regulator.
Other obstacles were also likely. The World Health Organization’s pandemic review panel co-chair Ellen Johnson Sirleaf expressed disappointment on Tuesday in COVID-19 vaccine rollout plans which meant shots would not be widely available in Africa until 2022 or 2023.
The Pfizer vaccine must be stored at temperatures of around -70 degrees Celsius (-112°F) before being sent to distribution centres in specially designed cool boxes filled with dry ice. Once out of ultra-low temperature storage, it must be kept at 2C to 8C to remain effective for up to five days.
Some experts have expressed doubts that Nigerian authorities will be able to store and transport the vaccine at such low temperatures.
The health minister on Monday said Nigeria had written to the African Union requesting 10 million vaccine doses, and allocated $26 million for licensed vaccine production.
As of Tuesday, Nigeria had recorded 112,004 COVID-19 cases resulting in 1,449 deaths.

First it was Colorado. Then California. And now Florida.
A new variant of COVID-19, named B117, was found in the United Kingdom last month and has made its way to the United States.
Researchers believe it is more contagious and spreading faster than what has been discovered in the U.S.
“It is hard to put an exact number on it, but when you look at modeling studies people say it may be between twenty to fifty percent more contagious. But you have to take all of those numbers with a grain of salt because they are based on modeling,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, John Hopkins University.
Dr. Adalja says regular COVID-19 tests will not detect if a positive case is from the new variant of the virus; that takes additional testing.
He says scientists are sampling 3,500 of the regular tests per week and re-testing them for the variant to see how prevalent it is in different parts of the country.
“It almost certainly is in other places throughout the United States. These cases had no travel history which tells you there is a chain of transmission in the United States I suspect we will find new variant cases all over the country…I think for the general population there is nothing to panic about,” said Adalja. “It does give you a reason to double your efforts to try and prevent yourself from getting exposed to this virus because this new variant does likely transmit more efficiently.”

While the new variant is not more deadly from a disease perspective, Dr. Adalja says if more people are infected, more people will die.
The virus is mutating, and the regular COVID-19 test cannot detect which strain you are infected, which is really a scary thing.

The U.S. government announced major changes to vaccine distribution Tuesday, upending what's been standard operating procedure for the past four weeks in an attempt to speed COVID-19 vaccinations and move closer to widespread immunity against the coronavirus.
In a media briefing, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar asked states to expand vaccinations to people 65 and older, as well as others with comorbidities, provided they have some form of medical documentation. He said restrictions by states on who is eligible to get the vaccine "have obstructed speed and accessibility of administration."
“There was never a reason that states needed to complete vaccinating all health care providers before opening vaccinations to older Americans and other vulnerable populations," Azar said. "States should not be waiting to complete 1a priorities before proceeding to broader categories of eligibility."
Azar also announced the government will release all available vaccine to states instead of holding back doses for scheduled second shots. Federal officials had been keeping vaccine in reserve to guarantee second doses but Azar said increased vaccine supply and the pace of manufacturing will ensure everyone who gets a first dose will get a second dose on schedule.
Both vaccines authorized for use were studied in a two-dose regimen, with the Pfizer-BioNTech doses given 21 days apart and Moderna's 28 days apart.
“Based on the science and evidence we have it is imperative that people receive their second dose on time," Azar said. "That’s what the science says and ignoring that would be reckless."
U.S. officials also are asking states to expand the locations where people can be vaccinated by adding community health centers, pharmacies and mass vaccination sites.

ABUJA (Reuters) - Dangote Cement bought 40.2 million shares in December at 243.02 naira, the first tranche of a buyback programme set to return cash to shareholders, Nigeria’s biggest listed firm said on Monday.
The cement firm, majority-owned by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, aims to buyback up to 10% of its 17.04 billion share capital in tranches, the company has said.
With December’s buyback, Dangote Cement has 17.0 billion shares outstanding. It had said it will buy 82.5 million shares over two tranches.
Dangote Cement traded flat on Monday at 212 naira, valuing the cement firm at 3.60 trillion naira ($9.5 billion).
The company said it will monitor market conditions in deciding on further tranches of the buyback programme. It had considered an open tender for the buyback.

he Nigerian government has said it is planning to start administering the COVID-19 vaccine on Nigerians before the end of March.
Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this in a letter sent to media executives, inviting them to a sensitisation meeting on the COVID-19 vaccines. 
According to Vanguard, the letter reads, “The management of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency NPHCDA wishes to express profound gratitude for your unflinching support to the ongoing effort to stop COVID-19 transmission in Nigeria.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency NPHCDA with the support of our development partners, is planning to introduce COVID-19 Vaccine from the 1st quarter of 2021, to protect the citizens and stop further spread of the virus in the country. 
“This is to inform you that as part of the preparatory activities, NPHCDA has scheduled a sensitisation meeting with media gatekeepers as critical stakeholders in this plan.” 
The meeting, which would be done via Zoom, is slated for this Friday. 
Shuaib had at a briefing of the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19 on Tuesday said Nigeria would take delivery of 100,000 doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech approved COVID-19 vaccines by the end of January. 
He said; “In the first phase through the COVAX facility, we expect to receive approximately 100,000 doses of the Pfizer and bioNtech vaccine by the end of January”. 
According to him, Nigeria expects to receive free 42 million doses of vaccines in the second phase through the COVAX facility being administered by 10 Global Vaccines Alliance, GAVI. 
“The second phase will be a combination of all the available approved vaccines currently in the market but this will cover only about 20 percent of Nigeria’s population,” he said. 
Shuaib also disclosed that to completely eradicate the pandemic, about 70 per cent of the total population needs to receive the vaccines, adding that only about 40 per cent will be vaccinated in 2021, while the remaining 30 per cent will be covered in 2022.
Look at the number of new additions and deaths reported every day. Seeing this report again is undoubtedly seeing hope. But before vaccinating COVID-19, we still have to pay more attention to our own safety.

The 2021 Grammy Awards will no longer take place this month in Los Angeles and will broadcast in March due to a recent surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.
The Recording Academy announced that the annual show would shift from its original Jan. 31 broadcast to March 14.
"The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do," the academy said in a statement to NBC News.
The Grammys will be held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. Los Angeles County, the epicenter of the crisis in California, has surpassed 10,000 Covid-19 deaths and has had 40% of the deaths in California. It is the third state to reach the 25,000 death count.
An average of six people die every hour from Covid-19 in Los Angeles County, which has a quarter of the state’s 40 million residents. County health officials fear the incoming Christmas and New Year’s surge.
“The Daily Show” host and comedian Trevor Noah is set to host the 2021 Grammys, where Beyoncé is leading contender with nine nominations. Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Roddy Ricch, Jhené Aiko,Post Malone, Renée Zellweger,Billie Eilish and her producer-brother Finneas also scored nominations. First-time nominees include The Strokes,Megan Thee Stallion, Harry Styles and Blue Ivy Carter.

The Federal Government says that Nigeria now has over 100 laboratories dedicated to Covid-19 testing nationwide.
This was disclosed by Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed in a press briefing with newsmen on Monday.
Mohammed said Nigeria started the pandemic with 2 centres but now boasts of over 100 public and private testing centres.
“Nigeria has so far availed itself creditably in the fight against Covid-19 through the deployment of resources, mobilization and training of manpower and expansion of health infrastructure, particularly our testing capacity for Covid-19,” he said.
“From just two National Reference Laboratory for the testing of Covid-19, we now have over 100 laboratories, public and private, across all the states of the federation,” he added.
Mohammed also added that centres were also built on state levels for the treatment of the disease and revealed that the FG encouraged local manufacturing of medical equipment for health workers.
” The federal government, through the Sustainable Production Pillar of the PTF, has been encouraging local manufacturing companies to embark on the production of consumables such as face masks, ventilators, hand sanitizers and face shields,” he said.

A large percentage of front-line workers in hospitals and nursing homes have refused to take the Covid-19 vaccine, a hurdle for public health officials as the country struggles to roll out inoculations around the country.
About 50 percent of front-line workers in California’s Riverside County have refused to take the vaccine, Riverside Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari told The Los Angeles Times on Thursday. California is currently overwhelmed with cases as hospital staff in Southern California face a shortage of intensive-care units and have created makeshift units.
Vaccine development and distribution has been the target of persistent conspiracy theories and disinformation on social media, although it's unclear how much impact this anti-vaccination movement has had on overall public trust in the process.
About 2 in 10 Americans are certain they will not change their mind about refusing the vaccine, according to data from the Pew Research Center. And 62 percent said they would be uncomfortable being among the first to receive the vaccine.
Anecdotally, an estimated 60 percent of Ohio nursing home employees have refused the vaccine already, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said during a news briefing Wednesday. It's a stark contrast to the number of nursing home residents who have taken the vaccine when offered, which DeWine guessed to be about 85 percent.
“We’re not going to make them, but we wish we had a higher compliance,” DeWine said. “And our message today is: The train may not be coming back for awhile. We’re going to make it available to everyone eventually, but this is the opportunity for you, and you should really think about getting it.”
Rollout for the vaccine has already been met with several logistical hurdles as only 2.6 million people have been vaccinated as of Wednesday. A review by NBC News of earlier data Tuesday found that at the current rate, it would take almost 10 years to inoculate enough Americans to get the pandemic under control.
It’s unclear how refusal by essential workers, who are prioritized to receive the vaccine in the first phase of administration, could further hamper the distribution efforts.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department made 235 arrests over the course of December in a targeted effort to enforce coronavirus restrictions as the region continues to see a dangerous surge in COVID-19 cases, officials said Wednesday.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said his agency has targeted underground parties -- also known as "super-spreader" events. As of Wednesday, sheriff's deputies have also recovered several illegal firearms and rescued an "at-risk" juvenile, he said.
"I have made it clear that we will seek out and take law enforcement action against all "Super-Spreader" events occurring anywhere within Los Angeles County," Villanueva said in a news release.
The county has enacted some of the toughest restrictions in the state as confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to rise and bed capacity at intensive care units reaches alarming levels. As of Tuesday, the county reported 7,000 hospitalizations -- up 1,000% from two months ago -- and nearly 12,800 new coronavirus cases.
The county has already surpassed 10,000 COVID-19 deaths, with 274 new deaths reported Wednesday.
During the first weekend of December, the sheriff's department made 158 arrests at a massive underground party at a vacant home in the Los Angeles suburb of Palmdale.
Villanueva said the goal of the enforcement actions is "to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and risk to our vulnerable populations."
He previously said he would direct deputies not to enforce Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order that has forced businesses to shutter all in-person dining.

With only a few days to go, the United States will likely fall short of its goal to vaccinate 20 million Americans by the year’s end as the nation embarks on what will be a historic campaign to inoculate hundreds of millions of people against the coronavirus by the middle of next year.
Two Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have now been given emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, paving the way for the first handful of front-line health-care workers and vulnerable long-term care residents to be inoculated against the virus.
The Trump administration’s vaccine program, Operation Warp Speed, planned to provide 40 million doses of vaccines between the two companies by the end of the year, which would’ve been enough for roughly 20 million people since each drug requires two shots at differing intervals.
As of the latest figures released Monday, however, it seemed far short of that goal: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said just more than 11.4 million doses had been distributed since Dec. 13 but only about 2.1 million had been administered. The CDC noted a number of reasons for the considerable difference between the number of distributed doses that have yet to be administered.
Part of the problem is a lag in data reporting, the agency said, while other issues lie with how jurisdictions are managing their allocations. The launch of the federal government’s partnership with major pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens, which will be tasked with vaccinating long-term care residents, is still pending, the CDC said.
U.S. Army Gen. Gustave Perna, who oversees logistics for Operation Warp Speed, repeatedly apologized shortly following the initial distribution of Pfizer’s vaccine after some state officials reported their allocations of doses were cut, and it wasn’t made clear who was at fault.
Pfizer explained in a statement to CNBC that each lot of its vaccines must receive “certificates of analysis” at least 48 hours prior to distribution under the company’s emergency use authorization with the FDA. While it wasn’t made clear whether the certificates were the reason for the discrepancy between the numbers Perna originally gave the states, those estimations were cut since the doses weren’t available for release.
“These doses are being distributed at states’ direction to the American people as quickly as they are available and releasable, and the rapid availability and distribution of so many doses – with 20 million first doses allocated for distribution just 18 days after the first vaccine was granted emergency use authorization – is a testament to the success of Operation Warp Speed,” said Michael Pratt, a spokesman for the vaccination program, in a statement Tuesday.
Pratt said there should be 20 million doses of vaccines allocated to the jurisdictions by the end of December and distribution will span into the first week of January. The second doses will then be distributed a few weeks later.
“We were too ambitious in our initial rollout,” Dr. Leana Wen, former Baltimore health commissioner, said Tuesday. “Here’s what happened. Here’s what we’re going to do to fix it. That’s what we should be hearing.”

Two vaccines to prevent Covid-19 infections have now been granted authorization for emergency use, and every day thousands more people are becoming vaccinated. As of Dec. 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than 1,008,025 initial doses of the two Covid-19 vaccines have been administered.
One two-dose vaccine, developed by the U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and the German firm BioNTech, was the first authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use. The first shipments were made on Dec. 14. A second vaccine, which was developed by Moderna and also requires two doses, began shipping vials on Dec. 20.
NBC News is tracking administered doses in each state by surveying health departments and examining daily reports. Some states have not yet reported data.

The Federal Government is painstakingly exploring multiple sources and cheaper but effective COVID-19 vaccines. Chairman, Technical Working Group for the therapy, Dr. Bassey Okposen, who dropped the hint in an exclusive interview with The Guardian in Abuja, said besides the COVAX facility spearheaded by Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) where 92 countries, including Nigeria, are eligible for support, attention is still being focused on other pharmaceuticals around the world.

He added that Nigeria was in touch with the governments of Russia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) for supplies. Okposen, who doubles as Director, Disease Control and Immunisation at the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), said: “These are opinions that we are exploring. If we want to buy as a country, it should be vaccines that have been tested, effective and not very expensive. Some of them are very expensive. The Moderna is about $33 per dose, and one person needs two doses. So, you know what that means when you multiply by the population. It will amount to billions of naira.

WASHINGTON/SEATTLE (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers are considering providing payroll assistance for aerospace manufacturers and suppliers as part of a massive $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill, congressional aides told Reuters.
In a letter to congressional leaders Thursday seen by Reuters, 11 senators proposed “the federal government would pay up to 50% of the payroll costs for up to 25% of a manufacturer’s workforce” for aerospace manufacturers and suppliers.
The U.S. aviation industry has lost 100,000 jobs and a third of the global airline fleet remains grounded since the outbreak, the senators said, adding “an additional 220,000 jobs are at risk.”
The measure is backed by senators from states hard hit by the decline in aerospace employment, including Kansas’s Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts and Washington State’s Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray.
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) President Robert Martinez urged senators to back the effort to provide payroll assistance “for those aerospace industry workers most at risk of layoff or furlough due to the pandemic.”
Martinez and Aerospace Industries Association CEO Eric Fanning in a joint op-ed Wednesday said without swift action by lawmakers the United States risks “losing these employees to other less-impacted industries that might seek their talents.”
In October, Boeing Co told employees it expects to eliminate 30,000 jobs to reach a workforce of around 130,000 worldwide by end-2021 - 11,000 more than previously discussed.
Spirit AeroSystems and General Electric Co’s aviation units have both cut thousands of jobs this year.
The senators said the “program is estimated to cost $3.8 billion over four months, but save an estimated $3.5 billion in unemployment costs borne by the states and federal government if these employees were instead to be furloughed.”
Two congressional aides briefed on the matter said a proposed $17 billion payroll support program for U.S. passenger airlines in the $900 billion measure could fall to $14 billion, as lawmakers may shift some funds to aerospace workers and airport contractors.
Of $45 billion designated for transportation in the bill, $16 billion has now been reserved for aviation. Some congressional aides think the final bill could designate $1 billion for aerospace workers and $1 billion for airport contractors, but negotiations continue.
It is not clear what any final aerospace assistance program adopted by Congress might look like.

U.S. airlines will be required to offer more than 32,000 workers furloughed in October their jobs back and keep them on payrolls through March 31 as a condition of assistance.

Tuan Nguyen majored in computer science and graduated magna cum laude with a 3.84 grade point average from Boise State University — right in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
Unable to find a job amid the pandemic and a struggling economy, the foreign student has been trying to get home to Vietnam, but his home country has closed its borders, leaving him stranded.
"I have been relying on my parents' support, but it has been increasingly straining for them as time goes on, especially when they also have to support my sister who is starting school at a community college in Texas," he wrote on a GoFundMe page that has raised $515 towards rent and travel costs. "It is difficult for me to expose myself like this, but I am asking you kind strangers on the internet for your support.”
Meanwhile, anti-Asian and especially anti-Chinese sentiment has been on the rise since the first coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, coinciding with a rise in hate crimes. In addition to President Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, the administration has also tried to place limits on the amount of time students and others can remain in the United States.
The ongoing pandemic is also taking its toll on universities and colleges that are worried international students — who often pay more than American students — aren't going to come back. Public and private universities in the United States could collectively experience a $3 billion revenue decline as international students stay away this fall, according to an April survey reported by PEW.
One day after setting up his GoFundMe, Nguyen posted again, letting well-wishers know that he had been able to pay rent for the next month.
Nguyen is just one of several international students who found themselves stranded after the country’s response drove many countries to close their borders to the United States. Without access to the federal aid or support available to American citizens, these students are struggling to keep themselves afloat.
"Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart to every single one of you," he said. "I have also been continuously applying for jobs, listening to advice, and being in contact with a few employers. I am hopeful, determined, and beyond grateful for everyone who has helped me."

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Twin efforts were underway in the U.S. Congress on Monday to reach a massive government spending deal that would avert a government shutdown, as Republicans and Democrats insisted they want to include a fresh round of aid to a coronavirus-hit nation.
The leaders of both parties appeared more upbeat about doing the first COVID-19 aid bill since April, while a bipartisan group of lawmakers were pitching their own approach. The COVID-19 aid could be attached to a critical spending measure that must be passed by Friday to avoid a federal government shutdown.
Leading lawmakers were hammering out that measure, a $1.4 trillion spending bill for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. It would include money for programs ranging from healthcare, homeland security and military readiness to foreign aid, national parks and nutrition. They have been operating on temporary funding.
Senator John Cornyn, a senior Republican, said what was needed was an agreement on pandemic relief between Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He said he hoped for a result by Wednesday.
“I think they have been talking and I’m confident their staff are engaged,” Cornyn told reporters. As for the bipartisan package, “I think it’s having a big, and a positive influence on what’s, what will be ultimately included,” Cornyn said.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby said the government spending bill could be filed as soon as Tuesday, and he hoped it would include COVID-19 relief. “That’s what I’ve always proposed, I hope so. We’ve got to have an agreement on the COVID stuff,” he told reporters.
Without a spending deal, the government would have to begin shutting non-emergency programs and furloughing many workers in the midst of a pandemic that has killed 300,000 Americans, thrown millions out of work, and is getting worse as winter sets in.
Local public health agencies worry that they will not have enough money to carry out a massive COVID-19 vaccination program if there is no deal, even as the first U.S. doses of Pfizer Inc’s vaccine were administered on Monday.
President-elect Joe Biden has urged Congress to act quickly on coronavirus aid before he takes office on Jan. 20. Even if it does, his new administration likely will seek another round of aid next year.
Democrats have been pushing hard for aid to state and local governments to insure against laying off more workers, including police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel. Republicans have generally resisted this, accusing Democrats of wanting to create a “slush fund” for cities and states controlled by members of their party.

California’s weak economy will take longer than the rest of the nation to recover than the rest from its coronavirus-induced maladies due to strict business lockdowns imposed by state and local government agencies, according to a downbeat economic forecast released Wednesday.
One bright spot: Santa Clara County has recovered the jobs it lost during months of business shutdowns at a notably faster pace than is the case in California, the Bay Area, and every major metro center in the state, the UCLA Anderson Forecast reported Wednesday.
“Silicon Valley, the Inland Empire, San Diego, Sacramento, and the Delta have fared better and contracted less” in terms of job losses compared with the rest of California, the Bay Area, San Francisco, the UCLA Anderson Forecast stated.
Santa Clara County in October had 93.4% of the jobs that it had in February, which was the last month before coronavirus-linked business shutdowns began, this news organization’s analysis of state government statistics shows.

The South Bay’s recovery from the job losses that began in March is the strongest of any major metro center in California, the analysis shows.
In contrast, the Bay Area in October had just 90.9% of the jobs it had in February, San Francisco-San Mateo had 90%, the East Bay had 89.5%, and California had 91.6% of its job totals from the month before the shutdowns began.
Job totals in California are expected to grow by 3.6% in 2021 and 3.8% in 2022, the Anderson Forecast predicted.
The unemployment rate in California is expected to average 6.9% in 2021, 5.2% in 2022, and 4.4% in 2023.
The bleak reality: Even three years from now, California’s jobless rate will be higher than the record-low level of 3.9% that was achieved for several months in a row prior to the business shutdowns.
About the only bright spot for California: Once the state does start to rebound, California might enjoy an economic and employment upswing that is stronger than the United States.
“The state has higher unemployment than in the U.S. overall, and the state is due to grow faster than the U.S. once restrictions are lifted and the pandemic is in the rear-view mirror,” UCLA Anderson Forecast economists Jerry Nickelsburg and Leila Bengali wrote in their forecast for California.
The forecasters believe the South Bay is well-poised to prosper with a strong economy and sturdy job market once the coronavirus woes are subdued.
“Silicon Valley is rebounding with the demand for new software technologies for the new way in which business and socializing are being conducted today,” the Anderson Forecast stated.

President-elect Joe Biden elaborated Thursday on his plan to ask all Americans to wear masks during the first 100 days of his administration.
During an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Biden said, “Just 100 days to mask, not forever. And I think we'll see a significant reduction.”
Biden said that where he has authority, he will issue an order mandating that masks be worn in places like federal buildings, airplanes, and interstate transportation like buses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that wearing a mask protects not only the person covering their face but also protects those around them from transmitting COVID-19.
Biden and President Donald Trump have taken drastically different approaches to the coronavirus, including wearing masks, and the rhetoric around face coverings.
Trump has fought many of the coronavirus recommendations laid out by health experts his own administration, which includes mask-wearing. Biden has strictly followed COVID-19 guidelines throughout the duration of his campaign and often called on citizens to wear face coverings.

Coronavirus Task Force is issuing a warning to local health and government leaders that “we are in a very dangerous place” as a country after the Thanksgiving Holiday and with coronavirus cases surging. Reports indicate the task force members are urging local leaders to do whatever is necessary to curb the spread of the virus.
“We all have to be protected and basically look after our co-workers,” said Summers. 
One of his co-workers recently got sick with the virus.
“We have to be vigilant about it and take care of yourselves, because with that you’re going to be taking care of others as well,” he said.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force says a post-Thanksgiving surge could stretch medical resources and compromise coronavirus and other patient care. Reports from the task force indicate it is telling local leaders that if state and local policies don’t reflect the seriousness of the current situation, they must take matters into their own hands.
Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris said luckily the situation in Central Florida isn’t as dire as in other parts of the country — there are still hospital beds available. But he says he’s still preparing for the worst.
“Thank God we’ve never had to establish an alternate medical treatment site, but we are ready to do that with our partnering counties — to do that for the Central Florida area — so we are ready to activate if we need to,” said Harris.
Harris realizes people have coronavirus fatigue, but he says that’s no reason to stop taking measures to stop the spread of the virus.
“We are so tired of this, but the alternative is not something that is good," said Harris. “The alternative is family members with vulnerable conditions getting sick and dying at the holiday season.”
Harris urges people to keep in mind there’s light at the end of the tunnel with a vaccine expected to be available within weeks, and widely available to the general public by sometime early next year.

a new report released today by Google and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), estimates that Africa’s Internet economy has the potential to reach 5.2% of the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025, contributing nearly $180 billion to its economy. The projected potential contribution could reach $712 billion by 2050.
Driving this growth is a combination of increased access to faster and better quality Internet connectivity, a rapidly expanding urban population, a growing tech talent pool, a vibrant startup ecosystem, and Africa’s commitment to creating the world’s largest single market under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Currently, Africa is home to 700,000 developers and venture capital funding for startups has increased year-on-year for the past five years, with a record $2.02 billion in equity funding raised in 2019, according to Partech Ventures Africa.
“The digital economy can and should change the course of Africa’s history. This is an opportune moment to tap into the power of the continent’s tech startups for much-needed solutions to increase access to education, healthcare, and finance, and ensure a more resilient recovery, making Africa a world leader in digital innovation and beyond,” said Stephanie von Friedeburg, Interim Managing Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of IFC.
Digital startups in Africa are driving innovation in fast-growing sectors, including fintech, healthtech, media and entertainment, e-commerce, e-mobility, and e-logistics, contributing to Africa’s growing Internet gross domestic product (iGDP) — defined as the Internet’s contribution to the GDP.
“Google and IFC have created this report to highlight the role the digital startup sector is playing and other factors driving the continent’s growth, in order to showcase and support the opportunities the continent presents,” said Google Africa director Nitin Gajria.
An analysis within the report, conducted by Accenture, found that in 2020, the continent’s iGDP may contribute approximately $115 billion to Africa’s $2.554 trillion GDP (4.5% of total GDP). This is up from $99.7 billion (3.9% of total GDP) in 2019, with the potential to grow as the continent’s economies develop.
Investments in infrastructure, consumption of digital services, public and private investment, and new government policies and regulations will play an important role in supporting Africa’s digital growth. The report notes that investment in digital skills will also need to increase in order to help drive technology usage and continue to grow the continent’s talent pool.

Americans should brace for a "surge upon a surge" in the coronavirus as millions of travelers return home after the Thanksgiving holiday, U.S. top infectious disease expert said Sunday.
"When you have the kind of inflection that we have, it doesn’t all of a sudden turn around like that,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH), told ABC’s "This Week." "So clearly in the next few weeks, we’re going to have the same sort of thing. And perhaps even two or three weeks down the line ... we may see a surge upon a surge.”
According to The Associated Press (AP), Fauci also appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press,” where he made similar remarks, adding that it's "not too late” for people traveling back home after Thanksgiving to help stop the spread of the virus by wearing masks, staying distant from others and avoiding large groups of people. "So we know we can do something about it, particularly now as we get into the colder season and as we approach the Christmas holidays,” he said.
The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the United States topped 200,000 for the first time Friday. The highest previous daily count was 196,000 on Nov. 20, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
This coming week, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to discuss a rollout of the vaccine, he said. He added that President-elect Joe Biden should focus on distributing vaccines in an "efficient and equitable way.” Fauci also said he planned to push the new administration for a rigorous testing program.
"We’ve got to go beyond the symptomatic people and get a better understanding of the asymptomatic transmission,” he said.
Health care workers will likely be among the first to get the vaccine, and soon.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, both said to be safe and perhaps 95% effective, have introduced a much-needed glimmer of hope after months of gloomy news.
"This puts the end to the pandemic. This is the way we get out of the pandemic. The light is at the end of the tunnel," Admiral Brett Giroir, the U.S. official overseeing coronavirus testing, told CNN.

The upcoming holidays will bring greater uncertainty to the epidemic, people's social distance will continue to shrink, and the total number of COVID cases will continue to increase. How to effectively control the spread of the epidemic will be the number one test facing President Biden.