Heathrow and Gatwick: Latest Foreign Office travel advice for the United States, Mexico, and Canada
As the world makes progress with its vaccination efforts, many countries are beginning to relax restrictions around international travel.
This week the European Union announced that the United States is to be added to its list of safe countries, making it easier for Americans to holiday in Europe. While many popular holiday destinations continue to welcome Brits, such as Spain and Portugal.
However, most countries are still on the UK’s amber list meaning travel for leisure is not allowed, and as Covid cases soar here the future of international travel for Brits is looking uncertain.
It is hoped that the vaccine rollout will save Brits’ chance for international travel, as more young people are invited for their jab.
Many people are eager to once again enjoy the freedoms of international travel, but with so much uncertainty it is unclear when this will be.
Here is the latest Foreign Office travel advice for the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The USA has spent much of the last year making headlines for its high Covid cases, and high number of deaths.However, continuing along this pattern, they were now making headlines around the world thanks to their successful vaccine rollout, with a high number of Americans vaccinated.
This success has meant that the EU has allowed non-essential travel from the USA to Europe once again, after previously being banned.
However, travel between the UK and the USA is not back quite yet.
Travellers from the UK were banned from entering the US in March 2020, excluding American citizens and permanent residents.
A new transatlantic travel taskforce has recently been set up to explore ways to reopen UK-US travel.
Until then the country remains on the UK’s amber list which restricts non-essential travel, and means arrivals back into England will need to isolate for 10 days.

More than two million Nigerians have received the first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency declared in Abuja on Thursday.
Its Executive Director, Dr Faisal Shuaib, told newsmen that 2,099,568 people have been vaccinated with their first doses, while 1,005,234 have received their second doses of the vaccine as at Thursday.
He said the agency had extended the timeline for the administration of second doses of the vaccine from June 25 to July 5.
He explained that the decision to extend the timeline resulted from noticeable constraints of various economic and social engagements of recipients.
Shuaib advised those who received the first dose not later than May 13 to visit the nearest vaccination site to receive the second dose as soon as possible for full protection.
He said that the administration of first doses is still on-going and urged Nigerians to avail themselves of the opportunity.
He admonished that even after receiving the second dose recipients should continue to observe the COVID-19 safety protocols as full vaccination does not provide for exemption.
“It is very important for everyone, including those who have received their second doses to continue to wear face masks and observe other non-pharmaceutical measures to prevent the spread of the virus,’’ he stressed.
Shuaib noted that after more than three million vaccinations, only 13,267 people experienced mild to moderate side effects, while 4,708 experienced moderate to severe side effects.
“The cases of mild, moderate and severe reactions that have been recorded are expected from normal vaccination and people who experienced any of these have since recovered and are doing well.
“Therefore, we should not allow the fear of side effects to discourage us from taking the vaccine, as the long term benefits of getting vaccinated far outweighs the risk of brief side effects.

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — California on Friday started offering residents a digital record of their coronavirus vaccinations that they can use to access businesses or events that require proof they got the shots.
The state’s public health and technology departments said the new tool allows Californians access to their COVID-19 vaccination records from the state’s immunization registry and includes the same information as the paper cards issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To access the information, Californians will enter into a state website their name, date of birth and email or phone associated with their vaccine records and they will be asked to create a four-digit PIN. The record will include a QR code that users can save to their mobile phones.
With nearly 20 million people fully vaccinated in California and proof of vaccination already required in some circumstances such as travel, state health officials felt there would be demand for the tool, though it remains optional, said Dr. Erica Pan, the state’s epidemiologist.

“The odds are someone is going to misplace their paper CDC card and a digital COVID-19 vaccine record provides a convenient backup,” she told reporters.
Following a drop in COVID-19 infections and rise in vaccinations, California lifted many pandemic-related restrictions this week, though everyone must continue to wear masks in some places such as mass transit and health facilities.
Vaccinated people are no longer required to wear masks at most indoor locations, though the unvaccinated still must do so. Businesses can choose whether to operate on an honor system for who must wear face coverings, require everyone to wear them or use a vaccine verification system.
Vaccine verification has been a thorny issue in many U.S. communities. About two dozen states have banned state-required vaccine passports and some, including Texas, also barred businesses from requiring vaccinations.
New York offers electronic vaccine verification through a digital app called Excelsior Pass.
California is giving residents quick access to their individual records in a database the state already maintains on immunizations, which residents could already get by making a request, said Amy Tong, director of the state’s department of technology.
Businesses that use a QR scanner would see the same information as residents — their name, birthdates and vaccination details, she said. They would not be able to store the data for future use.

European Union member states agreed on Wednesday to add the United States to the list of countries where non-essential travel restrictions should be lifted. This move was adopted during the meeting of the Permanent Representatives of the Group of 27 in Brussels.
The recommendation is non-binding, and the governments of individual EU countries continue to have the right to require test results or vaccination records and set other entry conditions.
The EU does not have a unified pandemic tourism or border policy, but for months it has been developing a universal digital travel certificate for people who have been vaccinated, tested negative for the coronavirus, or recently recovered from the virus. EU lawmakers approved the plan last week.
The free certificate will contain a QR code with advanced security features, allowing people to move between EU countries without quarantining or undergoing additional coronavirus tests on arrival.
Several countries in the European Union have begun to use the system, including Belgium, Spain, Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark and Poland. The rest is expected to start using on July 1.

The Nigeria Correctional Service, (NCOs), has announced a shake-up in the top management of the agency as part of new strategy to reposition it for effective service delivery.
Controller-General of the service, Haliru Nababa, said “the deployments are geared towards injecting new ideas in the management of the Service to address emerging challenges as well as meet the expectations of the public, particularly in the implementation of the NCoS Act 2019.”
In a communique made public on Wednesday in Abuja, Nababa noted that seven officers holding very key positions in the agency have been redeployed and are expected to take up their postings as soon as possible.
Those affected by the new posting are Deputy Controller-Generals (DCGs), Tunde Ladipo who is moved from Non-Custodial to Health and welfare while Sylvester Nwakuche, formerly in charge of Training and Staff Development, now takes over as DCG in charge of Non-Custodial.
Others are Emilia Oputa Adaobi, covering Duty, goes to Training and Staff Development, Uche Nwobi, DCG in charge of Inmates is now moved to Training and Productivity and Akinjijonwi Tosin, is deployed to Works and Logistics.
Also, Ahmadu Adamu now heads Human Resource while Ahmadu Magaji takes charge of Finance and Account.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many problems in American society ranging from public health and racial disparities to economic challenges and supply chain limitations. As was true with many nations around the world, the United States was caught without a detailed plan for dealing with a pandemic. Hospitals were unprepared for the deluge of patients and health care providers did not have access to the supplies they needed to protect themselves. State and national leaders provided mixed cues on how to shut down and when to reopen, and there continue to be sharp partisan differences in how people feel about wearing masks and getting vaccinations.The result has been nearly 600,000 American fatalities, the loss of millions of jobs, and a widening in the inequities that exist based on race, gender, age, income, and geography. While more than half of Americans now have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, a significant number indicate they don’t want to be vaccinated. That reticence runs the risk that the virus will not be eradicated and could return at some point in the future.
Among the most fundamental challenges that remain as we move forward is the fact that most pharmaceuticals and protective personal equipment are manufactured outside the United States. It was a shock for many people to learn during the pandemic that many of their essential medicines and products came from outside the country. In keeping with trends that have emerged in recent decades with manufacturing in general, China and India are big suppliers of medicinal drugs, as are places such as Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France, Israel, South Africa, and Brazil. Most American drug companies have outsourced manufacturing to foreign locations. In that situation, supply chains are long and there often are logistical problems that limit availability of needed treatments.
Now, a new report from the Washington University Olin School of Business outlines several reasons why this is the case and what we need to do about it. In terms of the causes of drug shortages, authors Tony Sardella and Paolo De Bona cite a 2019 U.S. Food and Drug Administration analysis that emphasized three factors: “1) the lack of incentives to produce less profitable drugs; 2) the market not recognizing or rewarding manufacturer for mature quality management systems, 3) logistical and regulatory challenges that make it difficult to recover after a disruption.” Taken together, these problems help people understand how we reached the current point and what leaders can do to address these matters.
According to the authors, there are a number of ways to improve the situation. These steps include decreasing dependence on foreign drug-makers, developing U.S. drug manufacturing, providing financial support for domestic capabilities, and offering faster drug approval processes.
Decrease single-country dependence
Part of the current challenge is the heavy reliance on foreign manufacturers. Few medications are made in the United States and that creates domestic risks. In a world with a considerable number of geopolitical uncertainties, it is challenging to rely on nations with which America has an adversarial relationship. Right now, there are many complicating issues in the relationship with China including trade, national security, and foreign policy. As the two countries move from a relationship that emphasized cooperation to one that is either competitive or conflictual, the risk of medical drugs being made in China increases. Depending on how relations ebb and flow, there could be times where China needs to redirect drug and PPE manufacturing to domestic needs as opposed to foreign ones. Or they could use its control of drug production to reward allies and punish adversaries. Either way, it is risky for the United States to rely heavily upon China during a time of considerable tension.
Develop U.S. drug manufacturing capabilities
At the same time, it makes sense to reduce reliance upon foreign manufacturers and develop U.S. drug manufacturing capabilities. For medicines that are essential to the health and well-being of Americans, it is vital to have some drug manufacturing options. That type of capability would insulate the U.S. from international disruptions and supply chain logistical problems. The same is true for necessary PPE and medical devices. There is legislation pending in the U.S. Congress that is designed to encourage American drug manufacturing.
Strengthen “made in America” requirements
The U.S. government long has had a “buy American” policy but it was vaguely worded and weakly enforced, so that stance has lost much of its relevance. President Biden has signed an executive order that clarifies the definition and puts stronger regulatory protections in place to make sure the policy is implemented. The order includes a mandate that American-made products must include materials with at least 55% domestic content. Companies can assemble products in the United States but the component parts must come from within the country. Having stronger “country-of-origin” requirements would boost the meaningfulness of “buy American” provisions.
Define the market to include friendly nations
In thinking about domestic drug manufacturing capabilities, it is important to consider the overall drug marketplace and how American firms fit into the global landscape. It would obviously be costly to cease all foreign operations and rely only on U.S.-based facilities. But it is important to think about the geographical combination that would bring needed security to American health products and medicines. It may take a novel combination of domestic and friendly foreign sites to ensure products are available when the U.S. needs them.
Avoid guaranteed contracts
Protecting the production of essential medicines requires a manufacturing competition policy that actually is pro-competition. Guaranteeing contracts for one or two firms in a sector gives them enormous power and sometimes squeezes out competitors. It is important to spread federal resources around so that more companies benefit and more have incentives to manufacture drugs for the United States.
Provide financial support
There are a variety of ways the federal government can provide assistance to domestic drug producers such as tax credits, loans, infrastructure investment, and direct support for production facilities. Any of those methods would improve the U.S. manufacturing climate and make it possible for firms to re-shore drug production and strengthen domestic supply chains.
Offer faster drug approval processes
The last recommendation is to expedite federal drug approval processes. Right now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration protocols require lengthy times and considerable resources to navigate. Anything that speeds up the process, while still protecting patients, would be helpful. Expediting these processes would make it possible for companies to get drugs to market quicker and offer assistance during vital times. This would ultimately help companies financially and provide drug access to patients who would benefit from its use.

U.S. health officials are scrambling to get more Americans vaccinated to keep the Delta variant, first identified in India, from proliferating across the United States.
The variant has become the dominant strain in the U.K., accounting for an estimated 60% of new cases. It’s now more prevalent than the Alpha strain, formerly called the B.1.1.7 strain, which was first identified in the U.K., and transmission is peaking in people between the ages of 12 and 20, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said at a press briefing Tuesday.
In the U.S., the Delta variant accounts for more than 6% of cases scientists have been able to sequence, he said. The actual number is likely higher, as the U.S. is running the genetic sequence on a fraction of cases.
“In the U.K., the Delta variant is rapidly emerging as the dominant variant ... It is replacing the B.1.1.7,” Fauci said. “We cannot let that happen in the United States.”
President Joe Biden has laid out a goal of administering at least one vaccine shot to 70% of all U.S. adults by the Fourth of July. It’s a bit of a stretch with less than four weeks to go and 63.7% of the adult population having received their first shot, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Roughly 53% of all U.S. adults are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
First detected in October, the Delta variant has spread to at least 62 countries, the World Health Organization said last week.
“We continue to observe significantly increased transmissibility and a growing number of countries reporting outbreaks associated with this variant,” the WHO said of the Delta strain last week, noting that further study was a high priority.
The Delta strain has a stranglehold on India, causing a spike in infections and deaths that has clogged hospital systems. The Indian government announced Monday that the country will soon begin providing Covid-19 vaccines for free to all adults in the country.
Fauci also said that the Delta variant is more contagious and may be associated with a higher risk of hospitalization than the original “wild type” Covid-19 strain.
Studies also show that two doses of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca shots are effective against the Delta strain, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine were shown to be 88% effective against the Delta variant, while two doses of the AstraZeneca shot were shown to be 60% effective against the strain, according to NIH data.
Fauci stressed the importance of getting two doses after NIH studies showed that, three weeks after being given, just one dose of either vaccine provided only 33% efficacy against the Delta variant.

The United States government has lowered its travel alert for the Philippines from Level 4 to 3.
In an advisory posted on June 8, the US State Department advised Americans to still reconsider travel to the country due to "high level" of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Under Level 3, US citizens are encouraged to get fully vaccinated before travel, while those unvaccinated travelers were told to avoid non-essential travel.
Last April, Americans were advised against all travel to the Philippines after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised to "Level 4: Very High" its Covid-19 advisory for the country, the highest of its pandemic warnings.
America's "do not travel" notice, meanwhile, remains in place in Marawi City and the Sulu archipelago, including the southern Sulu Sea due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.
A "reconsider travel" warning is also hoisted in other parts of Mindanao.
"The Philippine government maintains a state of emergency and greater police presence in the Cotabato City area, and in the Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat provinces," the State Department said.
"Terrorist and armed groups continue to conduct kidnappings, bombings, and other attacks targeting US citizens, foreigners, civilians, local government institutions, and security forces," it added.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $50 million commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The pledge will support COVID-19 vaccine purchase through Gavi's COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) as well as delivery of these vaccines to Nigeria and 91 lower-income countries.
The announcement builds on $156 million in previous commitments by the foundation to the COVAX AMC. The foundation's total commitment to the COVID-19 response is now more than $1.8 billion.
The pledge was announced at Gavi's COVAX AMC Summit, an event co-hosted by the government of Japan and Gavi that gathered world leaders, the private sector, civil society, and technical partners to build support to procure COVID-19 vaccines and equitably distribute them to lower-income countries.
"The world must urgently come together to expand equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, or we risk more deaths and the emergence of new variants that could prolong the pandemic for everyone," said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
"Thanks to today's contributions, especially Japan's generous pledge and its leadership in global health, we've taken an important step towards that goal. This summit is a powerful example of what can be achieved when we act collectively to control the pandemic and save lives."
The foundation urged high-income countries to share at least 1 billion excess COVID-19 vaccines with lower-income countries as soon as possible.
High-income countries have reserved more COVID-19 vaccines than they need, and thus can be part of a critical effort to accelerate global vaccine access by sharing excess doses, without compromising their own vaccination efforts.
This will allow lower-income countries to immunise hundreds of millions of health workers and at-risk people this year--saving lives, reducing the risk of new variants emerging, and helping control the pandemic.
The funding and dose sharing commitments from donors is expected to accelerate equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines to fill an immediate need for vaccine doses in lower-income countries.
High-income countries help low-income countries by sharing vaccines. We work together to reduce the risk of virus variants, hoping to control the epidemic as soon as possible.

The Department of City Planning (DCP) has proposed a text amendment to modify regulations relating to gyms, spas, and licensed massage therapy and other health and fitness facilities defined as Physical Culture or Health Establishments (PCEs). The proposed text amendment will remove the requirement for such facilities to receive a special permit by the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA).
Rationale for Text Amendment
Over the past several years, City officials have acknowledged that special permit requirements for gyms, spas and massage studios are onerous for small businesses and may reduce the availability of health-related amenities in communities. Recent DCP studies have noted the significant time required to receive a permit — often exceeding six months — and the high costs of going through the special permit process.
Since 2006, PCEs have been permitted as-of-right along commercial streets in certain Special Districts. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in major disruptions to gyms and fitness facilities. According to DCP, employment in this sector in New York City declined by more than 60% during the pandemic. Elimination of the PCE special permit requirement is intended to help businesses in this sector recover and provide needed health-related amenities to communities across the city.
Proposed Text Amendment
Under the proposed zoning text amendment, gyms and spas would be permitted in all commercial and manufacturing districts. The sole exception would be for larger gyms in C1 districts, where they would be limited to districts authorizing higher densities. Licensed massage therapy would be permitted in all residence districts except R1 and R2 districts, as well as in all commercial and manufacturing districts.
The proposed text amendment would remove the BSA special permit for PCEs (ZR 73-36) and add uses currently subject to this special permit to Use Groups that are permitted as-of-right in certain zoning districts. The proposed action would categorize all facilities dedicated to physical fitness and health, limited to 10,000 square feet in floor area per establishment, as Use Group 6 and Use Group 14. These uses will be permitted as-of-right in all commercial and manufacturing districts. The action would categorize all facilities dedicated to physical fitness and health, with no limitation in floor area per establishment, as Use Group 9. These uses will be permitted as-of-right in C2, C4, C5, C6 and C8 districts; M1, M2 and M3 districts; and high-density C1 districts (C1-8, C1-9 and C1 overlays mapped with R9 or R10 districts).
The proposed action would distinguish between establishments containing higher-intensity uses that have a greater potential to generate noise and those that are likely to have fewer objectionable effects. Higher-intensity uses, such as gyms involving the use of exercise machines and weights, would be subject to additional noise attenuation requirements and enclosure criteria. These uses would be required to be in completely enclosed buildings and would have to verify to the Department of Buildings prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy that the use is designed to comply with the NYC Noise Code. These additional requirements would apply to mixed-use buildings in commercial and MX districts. Other health and fitness uses, such as yoga studios and therapeutic services, would not be subject to these requirements prior to operating, but would also be subject to the NYC Noise Code.
The proposed text amendment would categorize licensed massage therapy as ambulatory health care in Use Group 4A and Use Group 6B (health care office). Thus, licensed massage therapy studios would be treated in the same manner as other health care facilities, including facilities where massage therapy already occurs, such as physical therapy offices and long-term care facilities. Licensed massage therapy studios will be permitted in residence districts other than R1 and R2, as well as all commercial and manufacturing districts.
Existing PCEs
PCEs existing on the date of the adoption of the text amendment that were allowed pursuant to special permit by the BSA may continue under the terms and conditions established at approval and may continue after the expiration of such special permit, provided the PCE is not enlarged, expanded or otherwise changed in a manner that deviates from the special permit approval. As an alternative, existing PCEs may continue pursuant to the applicable provisions in the proposed text amendment, and may enlarge, expand or change the range of activities, in accordance with the district's regulations.

Scientists have found clues that the world’s leading COVID-19 vaccines offer lasting protection that could diminish the need for frequent booster shots, but they caution that more research is needed and that virus mutations are still a wild card.
Critical studies are underway, and evidence is mounting that immunity from the mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna does not depend exclusively on antibodies that dwindle over time. The body has overlapping layers of protection that offer backup.
Pfizer and Moderna have fueled booster questions by estimating that people might need yearly shots, just like with flu vaccinations, and the companies are working to have some candidates ready this fall. But they will not decide when boosters get used — that will be up to health authorities in each country.
Other experts say boosters may be needed only every few years.

Half of the United States is partially vaccinated, but experts say more work is needed

When the United States celebrated Memorial Day, health professionals celebrated that more than half of the population was at least partially vaccinated, but still do to keep their next holiday safe from COVID-19. It reminded the general public that there was something to do. The news is that people can meet friends and travel comfortably because they are vaccinated, “said William Hasertin, a former professor at Harvard Medical School. “The bad news is that if you’re not vaccinated, you’re still at risk and the risk is as high as it used to be.” Over the weekend, crowds gathered at beaches and bars. It was. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 50.5% of the population is vaccinated at least once and 40.7% is fully vaccinated. I told CNN. “And it’s nice to see everyone feeling really good.” A year ago, many beaches ignored social distances and videos of crowded pool parties on Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. When that sentiment was in stark contrast. Many people showed that they were crammed inside and outside the pool — medical professionals were afraid that the spikes were imminent. The following month, at least 16 The state has suspended or rolled back plans to reopen to combat the surge. This year, President Joe Byden has set a goal. 70% of the population has received at least one dose by July 4. Make sure. Authorities are also stepping up efforts to reach that goal, with another $ 1 million draw from Ozarks to mobile vaccine units sent to densely populated areas of New York. From home care facilities to airports, much of the United States began to look pre-virus. On Monday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued the latest guidance to allow fully vaccinated people. According to the release announced, most home care facilities can be reached without a mask. That same day was expected to be the busiest day of pandemic at a U.S. airport. , Inspected more than 7 million people from Thursday to Sunday. On Friday, TSA screened 1.96 million people. Travel industry experts say this year is going to be a busy summer. United Airlines said on Monday that June-August bookings were more than double last year. In New Orleans, a weekend Mardi Gras-style parade took place after a few months delay, with 50,000 people. Gathered. Great, “said Kelly Cartner, resident of the Parish of Jefferson. “Being here with family and friends is just amazing.” Continuing danger warning Some experts, such as Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a medical professor, told vaccinated people on weekends. They recommended going out and having fun, but they also said that Tedros Adhanom Gebreyes, Executive Director of the World Health Organization, said, “A persistent danger for unvaccinated Americans. It’s wrong. ” Thinking that the danger is gone is a serious mistake for any country, “he said.” Someday, hopefully, a pandemic will be behind us. But mental wounds love. Lost people, stretched health care workers will remain. Beyond the limits, millions of people of all ages faced months of loneliness and isolation. ”A popular purpose on weekends. The mayor of Miami Beach, the land, sent “too many people to come to his scenic seaside town.” The virus is still here, “said Mayor Dan Gerber.” The number of people coming here is unprecedented. ”
When the United States celebrated Memorial Day, medical professionals celebrated that more than half of the population was at least partially vaccinated, but to keep the next holiday safe from COVID-19. It reminded the general public that there is still work to be done.
“It’s great news to feel comfortable traveling because people can meet friends and get vaccinated,” William Haseltine, a former professor at Harvard Medical School, told CNN. “The bad news is that even if you’re not vaccinated, you’re at risk, and the risk is as high as it used to be.”
During the weekend, many people rushed to the beaches and bars. Report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 50.5% of the population has been vaccinated at least once and 40.7% have been fully vaccinated.
Bob Alfera, who lives in Santa Monica, California, told CNN, “It feels very, very normal.” “And it’s nice to see everyone feel really good.”
That feeling was in contrast to a year ago. Many beaches ignore social distance Also, in a video of a crowded pool party on Lake Ozark, Missouri, where many people are crammed inside and outside the pool, healthcare professionals may be imminent with spikes. I was worried about it.
The following month, at least 16 states suspended or rolled back plans to reopen to combat the surge.

OTTAWA, Ontario -- The NHL and health authorities are working on a travel exemption that would allow the winner of the all-Canadian North Division and an American opponent to cross the border during the final two rounds of the playoffs, including the Stanley Cup Final, according to a report by The Canadian Press.
The exemption would let teams enter Canada for games without having to isolate for 14 days, as is currently required for nonessential travelers because of the pandemic, CP reported Sunday, citing two people in the federal government who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The NHL has been working to secure approval from public health authorities in the provinces and cities that still have teams in the playoffs -- Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal, the sources told CP. Final approval rests with federal Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino.
In an email to CP, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the effort was "a work in progress."
The winner of Monday night's Game 7 between Montreal and Toronto will play the Jets in the North Division final. The winner of that series will face one of three American division winners in the league semifinals. The two semifinal winners will square off for the Stanley Cup.
Cross-border travel in the NHL has been virtually nonexistent since the pandemic hit North America last spring. Last summer, the NHL concluded its season with playoff hubs in Toronto and Edmonton, but all American teams crossed the border just once to open play.
For this season, the league put all seven Canadian teams in one division, and they exclusively played each other to avoid cross-border travel. The NHL had said it was considering having the division winner relocate to the U.S. for the final two rounds unless the Canadian government relented.
Other Canadian professional sports teams have had to relocate to the U.S. to avoid cross-border travel. Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays started their season playing home games in Dunedin, Florida, and will call Buffalo, New York, home starting Tuesday.
Major League Soccer's Toronto FC, CF Montreal and Vancouver Whitecaps have relocated to Florida or Utah.
Montreal became the first Canadian team to host a crowd on Saturday when 2,500 fans watched the home team defeat the Maple Leafs in overtime. That crowd was significantly smaller than those permitted in most U.S. venues for all sports, including the NHL.
Game 7 of that series is Monday in Toronto, so it'll be back to no fans. Should the Canadiens upset the Maple Leafs, though, they would again be able to welcome fans for the second round.

(Ecofin Agency) - Food wastage caused by improper food storage costs Nigeria about N3.7 trillion (About $9 billion) yearly. The figure was recently disclosed by John Onojeharho, chairman of the governing council of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT). This was at the 8th Nigeria Annual Transport Lecture held in Lagos on the topic “Cold Chain Logistics”.
“Nigeria is ranked 1 percent in terms of cold chain management. The market is huge and if properly tapped, we can save $9 billion annually by avoiding food wastage through proper storage,” said Mr. John Onojeharho.
One of the key reasons for massive waste is the lack of a temperature-controlled supply chain to prevent fresh foods from spoiling during transportation from the farms to the end-users. For example, it is estimated that more than 40% of tomato production does not reach consumers. 
Efficient logistics is crucial for any country’s economic growth. In the case of Nigeria, NITT’s chairman added that its cold chain logistics issues are overall attributed to poor road infrastructure, continuity of the cold supply chain, high capital investment, power supply.
More than 12% of Nigerians suffer from undernourishment. Yet every year, the country loses and wastes 40% of its total food production. As indicated on the Global Food Security Index two years ago, food security will worsen looking at the country’s fast-growing population that is expected to reach about 400 million by 2050.

The Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, said this during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
Shuaib said the 440,000 health workers represented 23 per cent of people that had received first the shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The NPHCDA boss also stated that 1,929,237 Nigerians representing 96 per cent of the targeted population had so far been vaccinated against the virus, which had claimed over 3 million lives globally and over 2,000 lives in the country.
According to Shuaib, administering the second dose of the vaccine has begun and over 4,000 people have received theirs.
"Those individuals currently eligible for second dose will have received their first dose 6 to 12 weeks ago," he said.
He urged all Nigerians to receive their second dose of the vaccine to gain full protection against the virus.
He added that this would enable the country to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, noting that the country had set an ambitious goal of vaccinating 40 per cent of its over 200 million population before the end of 2021, and 70 per cent by the end of 2022.
Meanwhile, Shuaib said the global community was facing great challenges regarding vaccine supply, adding that like most nations, this impacts the clarity over Nigeria's next shipment.
"While we have information that we may get the next consignment of vaccines by end of July or August, this has not been officially confirmed.
"When we are able to, we will provide an update regarding timelines and details of the next shipment.
"At present, we do not have that information available due to the wider context we are in," he said.
He, however, said Pfizer and BioNTech pledged last week to provide one billion doses of their COVID-19 vaccines to low-and-middle income countries by the end of 2021, and another one billion doses in 2022.
"Johnson & Johnson also announced it has signed a deal to provide 200 million doses of its vaccine to COVAX," he explained.
According to him, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is now advocating for a 50 billion dollar fund to be spent on ensuring a faster rollout of COVID-19 vaccines globally.
He said the IMF also called for at least 40 per cent of the global population to be vaccinated by the end of this year, and 60 per cent by June 2022.
He noted that the money would be used to increase COVAX vaccine coverage, procure additional tests and expand vaccine production capacity.
"We strongly endorse the creation of such a fund, and emphasise that all nations must have comparable access to COVID-19 vaccines in order to end this pandemic.
"Additionally, the United States announced it will donate 20 million vaccine doses by the end of June to the COVAX scheme," he added.
Speaking at the briefing, a representative of the United Nation's Children Fund (UNICEF) in Nigeria, Dr Peter Hawkins, said there were ongoing efforts to get vaccines to hard to reach areas in the country.
"Nobody is safe until everybody is vaccinated. We cannot underestimate the steps taken and the challenges ahead," Mr Hawkins said.
He also urged governors, traditional and other leaders to encourage their people to come out and be vaccinated for the safety of all.

A study published yesterday, in The Lancet medical journal, offered reasons why Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria and South Africa have higher death rate among critically ill COVID-19 patients than any other regions of the world.
According to the observational survey from 64 hospitals in 10 African countries, death rates among adults in the 30 days after being admitted to critical care with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infections appeared considerably higher in Africa (average 48.2 per cent; 1,483/3,077 patients) than the global (average of 31.5 per cent; from a meta-analysis of 34,859 patients).
The researchers, who are all based on the continent, said a critical factor in these excess deaths might be a lack of intensive care resources and underuse of those available. For example, half of patients died without being given oxygen, while 68 per cent of hospitals had access to renal dialysis, as only 10 per cent of severely ill patients received it.
Estimates suggest that the provision of dialysis was seven times less, even as availability of oxygenate blood (ECMO) was 14 times lower than required to adequately treat COVID-19 patients.
Findings have important implications for managing critical patients in resource-limited settings where shortage of functioning equipment and specialised staff must be taken into consideration.
Leaders of the study in Nigeria, Prof. Akinyinka Omigbodun of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, and Prof. Adesoji Ademuyiwa of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, reported that the challenges faced by this group of persons could be partly mitigated by not only ensuring the availability of the human and material resources needed for their care, but also devoting the required attention to the distribution of these resources across all the centres offering critical care services across the country.
Prof. Bruce Biccard from Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town, South Africa, who co-led the research, pointed out that the work was first to give a comprehensive picture of what is happening to these people.
Until now, little was known about how the pandemic was seriously affecting this set of persons in the face of inadequate resources.
To address the gap, the African COVID-19 Critical Care Outcomes Study (ACCCOS) is identifying the human and hospital resources, underlying conditions and critical care interventions behind mortality or survival in adults (aged 18 or older) admitted to intensive care or high-care units in Africa.
The study focused on 64 hospitals in the above named countries.
Between May and December 2020, around half (3,752/6,779) of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection referred to critical care were admitted. Of those, 3,140 patients participated in the study. All participants received standard care and were followed up for at least 30 days unless they died or were discharged. Modelling was used to identify risk factors associated with death.
After 30 days, almost half (48 per cent, 1,483/3,077) of the critically ill patients had died. The analysis estimates that death rates in these African patients were 11 per cent (in best case scenario) to 23 per cent (in worst case scenario) higher than the global average of 31.5 per cent.
Of the survivors, 16 per cent (261/1,594) remained in hospital, and 84 per cent (1,333/1,594) had been discharged. The outcome of 63 patients is unknown.
The study estimates that the provision of dialysis needs to increase approximately seven fold and ECMO approximately 14 fold to provide adequate care for the critically ill COVID-19 patients in this study. For example, even inexpensive basic equipment was in short supply, with only 86 per cent (49/57) of units able to provide pulse oximetry (to monitor blood oxygen levels) to all patients in critical care. Similarly, 17 per cent (10/57) of hospitals had access to ECMO, but despite evidence to support its use in COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure, it was offered to less than one per cent of patients.
The majority of patients were men (61 per cent; 1,890/3,118 patients, average age 56 years) with few underlying chronic conditions. For participants with available data, the most common underlying conditions were high blood pressure (51 per cent, 1,572/3,104), diabetes (38 per cent, 1,175/3,090), Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) 7.7 per cent, 237/3,084), chronic kidney disease (7.7 per cent, 241/3085), and coronary artery disease (7.7 per cent, 237/3093).
People with pre-existing conditions had the highest risk of poor outcomes. Having chronic kidney disease or HIV/AIDS almost doubled the risk of death, while chronic liver disease more than tripled the risk of dying. Diabetes was also associated with poor survival (75 per cent increased risk of death). However, contrary to previous studies, being male was not linked with increased mortality.
“The finding that men did not have worse outcomes than women is unexpected”, says co-lead Professor Dean Gopalan from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. “It might be that the African women in this study had a higher risk of death because of barriers to accessing care, or care and limitations or biases in care when critically ill.”
Compared with survivors, patients who died were also more likely to have a higher degree of organ dysfunction (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA] score), and required more respiratory and cardiovascular support on admission to intensive care—yet the resources to provide this care are limited.
According to Gopalan: “The quick SOFA score could be a simple tool to use at critical admission in low-resourced settings to help clinicians identity patients with poor prognosis at an early stage and to avoid delays in starting necessary organ support.”
The researchers said although critical care units reported relatively high rates of staffing with 24-hour physician coverage seven days a week, and a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:2, mortality was high, possibly because of a lack of specialised staff.
According to co-author Dr. Vanessa Msosa from Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi: “This cross-continental collaboration has provided much-needed data about our unique COVID-19 patient care needs. Although our younger demographic means that most countries in Africa have avoided the large-scale mortality seen in many parts of the world, in-hospital mortality is suffering from being under-resourced, with only half of referrals admitted to critical care because of bed shortages. Patient outcomes will continue to be severely compromised until the shortfall in critical care resources is addressed.”
The authors noted some limitations of their study, including that it was mainly conducted in university affiliated, government funded, and tertiary hospitals, and it is likely that outcomes could be worse in lower level hospitals with less resourced critical care units. In addition, the study cohort was younger than other COVID-19 critical care cohorts, and is likely to be an underestimate of excess mortality if adjusted for age. They add that although this is the largest set of data on critically ill patients from under-resourced settings, it represents only 10 African countries, and most hospitals were in the relatively well-resourced countries of South Africa and Egypt, which may affect the generalisability of the results.
Writing in a linked Comment, Dr. Bruce Kirenga and Dr. Pauline Byakika-Kibwika from Makerere University, Uganda (who were not involved in the study) say, “The underuse of resources is an intriguing finding and contrary to popular belief that resources are scarce… It is important to think beyond the availability of resources and to also consider issues of functionality. It is common in Africa to have expensive equipment that is non-functional due to poor maintenance or lack of skilled human resource. In 2017, the Tropical Health and Education Trust reported that 40 per cent of medical equipment in Africa was out of service, 80 per cent of medical equipment was donated, 70 per cent to 90 per cent of donated equipment were never operationalised, and only two African countries had professional biomedical engineers.” The study was partially funded by a grant from the Critical Care Society of Southern Africa. ACCCOS) investigators conducted it.

The annual Legislative Summit on Health is a product of the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage. The Network consists primarily of legislators (National and States) with members of the Executive Arm of Government (State and National) and non-state actors collaborating to provide institutional contexts focused on the health sector. It is convened annually to provide a platform for Nigerian Legislators to confer to resolve matters pertaining to the resilience of the health sector to provide equitable, quality care to citizens.

The overall objective of setting up the Legislative Network was to effectively leverage statutory functions of the Legislature in Nigeria for improved health financing, toward effective and efficient utilization of the resources for Universal Health Coverage. The specific objectives were:



To achieve improved appropriation to health sector by deepening the knowledge of legislators on economic, social, health and political benefit of improved health funding towards UHC;

To ensure prompt and adequate release of allocated funds by working with the lawmakers to make relevant central budget agencies accountable for fund releases;

To ensure timely passage of relevant high quality health laws especially the legal framework for State Supported Health Insurance Scheme (SSHIS);

To leverage oversight and accountability functions of the lawmakers to assess and improve quality and efficiency of implemented health projects irrespective of the funding sources;



To enhance sustained learning and among legislators across states and between state law makers and their federal counterparts.

Thus, the Summit is one of the tools used by legislators to collectively strategise on how to achieve these objectives. Every year since the first Summit was convened in July 2017 (except 2020 because of COVID-19), Legislators have gathered with this singular purpose. To rub minds, to discuss, to analyse health situations in the country, to make decisions and take a stand on the way forward to solve whatever challenges that each State may face, within respective contexts. What ensures success and nationwide reach is the fact that it includes all states. It identifies the role every stakeholder needs to play and leverages these to achieve identified objectives. A major output of these meetings is a strategic framework called the Legislative Health Agenda, an actionable work-plan developed by each State to address existing challenges in respective health sectors by applying their statutory functions of Legislation, (appropriation), Oversight, (accountability), and Representation.



This actions by the Legislature have become critically necessary as the country's mortality indices have remained extremely high with minimal improvements, despite the magnitude of resources contributed to improve the statistics. For instance, the National Demographic Health Survey (2018) findings revealed that in the seven years preceding the survey, infant mortality rate was 67 deaths per 1,000 live births; under-5 mortality was 132 deaths per 1,000 live births; and Maternal mortality ratio, 512 deaths per 100,000 live births. Similar dismal indices are recorded across different health indicators and call for accelerated responses like this one, across different spheres of stakeholders to address the challenges giving rise to these.

The Summits have contributed a large portion to the following achievements in the sector:

Accountability for implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) guideline in line with the National Health Act;

Achieving the earmarking of the BHCPF from service-wide vote to first line charge

Annual fiscal appropriations inclusive of the BHCPF (one percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund) to provide a minimum package of basic health services to all Nigerians since the first Summit was convened;

Deliberate actions by legislators on health and nutrition resulting in increased budgetary releases to the health sector in some states;

34 of 36 states have enacted legal frameworks to provide financial risk protection on healthcare;

Effective collaboration of the National and State Legislatures in the response to COVID-19 and epidemics preparedness;

A high percentage of legislators across the country now keenly aware of how to apply themselves and their statutory functions towards healthcare financing reforms; and

Capacity building of legislators in five geo-political zones of the country to harness and align their statutory functions to achieve UHC goals and nutrition objectives;

Although the country is making attempts to take giant strides in its pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC); these efforts and whatever achievements have been recorded could be quickly eroded if health security is not prioritized. This is obvious in the effect of the currently ravaging COVID-19 pandemic and other disease outbreaks that have greatly impacted the health system negatively. The approaches to ensure that health security is prioritized and at the same time the country's UHC pursuit is not hindered is the focus of our discussions at this year's 4th Annual Legislative Summit on Health that will hold from May 23rd to 25th, 2021 in Abuja. Its theme aptly describes the purpose: Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Health Security (HS): Two Sides of a Coin for an Efficient Health System.

We will review the State of the health of the nation and the national health system; the role of adequate financing as the nexus for UHC and health security in Nigeria, and what opportunities exist for the Health Sector to leverage; and leveraging lessons from COVID-19 national and subnational responses to improve the health security landscape. It is our sincere hope that this year's Summit to build on past successes to impact positively on the health sector and Nigeria as a whole.

The Summits have continued to be a rallying point of learning, interaction and agenda setting for legislators and other key actors in the health sector across the country. They have helped achieve laudable accomplishments in the provision of equitable and affordable healthcare in the country and will continue to be used to this end, with the continued assistance of our partners including the World Health Organisation, European Union, World Bank, United States Agency for International Development, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Health Systems Consult Limited (HSCL); Christian Aid, the West African Academy of Public Health, Nigeria Health Watch, PharmAccess, Stop TB Partnership, International Society for Media in Public Health, HERFON, Health Sector Reform Coalition, GHAI-RTSL, LISDEL, and DGI consult to mention a few. We acknowledge and appreciate your continued contribution and partnership overtime in health systems reform and to the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage.

As Nigerians continue to laud the Federal government's decision to ban flights from countries currently being ravaged by the 3rd wave of the coronavirus, a public health expert has called for equity in the enforcement of the restrictions.
A renowned Medical Laboratory Scientist, Dr Casmier Ifeanyi who spoke to Vanguard, warned that what happened in the first and the second waves of the pandemic should not be allowed to repeat.
"Of course it is anticipated that the high and mighty can also get past these protocols because the operatives may be intimidated or will take gifts, get compromised and turn a blind eye.
"Also, previous experiences have shown that some persons were allowed to procure fake COVID-19 laboratory results to enable them to exit the country or come in. There should be equity in enforcement," he explained.
"I also would want to advise that laboratory testing services for those who come from these countries or adjourning countries with records of ravaging COVID-19 pandemic should be made to go through the entire protocol of testing and quarantine time.
"That way we will ensure that we wage the third wave from getting to ravage Nigerians."
Noting that the Nigerian health systems are frail, weak and largely non-existent, the government must do more about preventive health measures and intervention.
He warned that the country would be ravaged should adequate care is not taken against the virus.
"We will be so ravaged as a country should we slack in the preventive approach and the deadly strains driving to the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic gets into Nigeria. Take for instance if what's happening in India get to our country, I am sure nobody, no right-thinking person that is a human being would wish that it happens in his country as a result of carelessness."
He charged government officials saddled with the responsibility of enforcement of the restrictions to spare no resource at bringing the full weight of the law to bear on violators and non-compliant persons.
He added; "The import of being proactive in curbing pandemics cannot be overstressed. In this wise, the presidential steering committee is right on time and proactive. They are prompt in their new prescriptions on COVID-19 restriction. The committee would need to overreach itself in the area of responsibility.
"Response should entail in the light of the impact of the new restrictions on the economy ample incentives, and palliatives that will encourage compliance. If you are saying that rather than a full capacity for a sedan taxi that the cab driver should carry at most three passengers and maintain the same fare then he should be given some incentives to encourage him to comply. If the government is shutting bars, clubs and making restrictions for operators of restaurants, then they got to be considered for stuff like tax holiday.
"Government must find a way to cushion the impact of this restriction as integral to the response. Government must also make available at a reduced cost or for free some of the non-pharmaceutical protocol consumables including face mask and alcohol-based hand sanitisers.
"The Presidential Steering Committee will also need to ensure that public buildings make provisions for these consumables and that water is provided in these Public buildings provide water because it's regrettable that in most public buildings in Nigeria particularly those owned by the government, they do not have a steady water supply and as such, maintenance of basic hand hygiene will be very challenging."
He added that the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has lived up to its mandate and bidding.
"The leadership of the NCDC has been very exemplary. In fact, NCDC is an embodiment of the desired new Nigeria was systems and processes work at top-notch," he added
If all our MDA's particularly those under the Federal Ministry of Health work like the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control then our health system will be rated among the first 10 in the Bloomberg template. I will like to encourage Dr Chikwe Ihekwuazu and his management team to stay focused and committed more than ever before because their efforts are yielding indelible footprints in the Nigerian health sector.

The news was unsettling. The variant, called B.1.1.7, had roiled Britain, was beginning to surge in Europe and threatened to do the same in the United States. And although scientists did not know it yet, other mutants were also cropping up around the country. They included variants that had devastated South Africa and Brazil and that seemed to be able to sidestep the immune system, as well as others homegrown in California, Oregon and New York.
This mélange of variants could not have come at a worse time. The nation was at the start of a post-holiday surge of cases that would dwarf all previous waves. And the distribution of powerful vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech was botched by chaos and miscommunication. Scientists warned that the variants — and B.1.1.7 in particular — might lead to a fourth wave and that the already strained health care system might buckle.
That did not happen. B.1.1.7 did become the predominant version of the virus in the United States, now accounting for nearly three-quarters of all cases. But the surge experts had feared ended up a mere blip in most of the country. The nationwide total of daily new cases began falling in April and has now dropped more than 85% from the horrific highs of January.
“It’s pretty humbling,” said Kristian Andersen, a virus expert at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. “We could actually do a lot better than I had expected.”
Andersen and other virus watchers still see variants as a potential source of trouble in the months to come — particularly one that has battered Brazil and is growing rapidly in 17 US states. But they are also taking stock of the past few months to better understand how the nation dodged the variant threat.
Experts point to a combination of factors — masks, social distancing and other restrictions, and perhaps a seasonal wane of infections — that bought crucial time for tens of millions of Americans to get vaccinated. They also credit a good dose of serendipity, as B.1.1.7, unlike some of its competitors, is powerless against the vaccines.
“I think we got lucky, to be honest,” said Nathan Grubaugh, a public health researcher at Yale University. “We’re being rescued by the vaccine.”
After B.1.1.7 emerged at the end of December, new variants with combinations of troubling mutations came to light. Scientists fretted about how the competition among the variants might play out.
In January, researchers in California discovered a variant with 10 mutations that was growing more common there and had drifted into other states. Laboratory experiments suggested that the variant could dodge an antibody treatment that had worked well against previous forms of the virus and that it was perhaps also more contagious.
In the months that followed, the United States has drastically improved its surveillance of how the variants mutate. Last week more than 28,800 virus genomes, almost 10% of all positive test cases, were uploaded to an international online database called GISAID. That clearer picture has enabled scientists to watch how the mutants compete.
The California variant turned out to be a weak competitor, and its numbers dropped sharply in February and March. It is still prevalent in parts of Northern California, but it has virtually disappeared from southern parts of the state and never found a foothold elsewhere in the country. By April 24, it accounted for just 3.2% of all virus samples tested in the country as B.1.1.7 soared to 66%.
“B.1.1.7 went in for the knockout, and it’s like, ‘Bye-bye, California variant,’” Andersen said.
On the other side of the country, researchers reported in February that a variant called B.1.526 was spreading quickly in New York and appeared to be a formidable adversary for B.1.1.7. By February, each of those variants had grown to about 35% of the samples collected by Grubaugh’s lab in Connecticut. But B.1.1.7 came out on top.
In fact, B.1.1.7 seems to have the edge over nearly every variant identified so far. At a congressional hearing Tuesday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said B.1.1.7 made up 72% of cases in the country.
“We’re really seeing B.1.1.7 pushing out other variants decisively,” said Emma Hodcroft, a public health researcher at the University of Bern.
The variants identified in California and New York turned out to be only moderately more contagious than older versions of the virus, and much of their initial success may have been luck. The overall boom in cases last fall amplified what might otherwise have gone undetected.
It is unclear what gives B.1.1.7 an edge over the others. “Is it the greatest of all the variants? It’s just really hard to say right now,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virus expert at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. “We need more research to figure out more about what all of these combinations of mutations are doing.”
Some answers may come from California, where researchers are staging a head-to-head competition in a lab, injecting mice with a cocktail of B.1.1.7 and six other variants.
“The idea is to see which one will win out,” said Dr Charles Chiu, a virus expert at the University of California, San Francisco, who was the first scientist to discover the California variant.

Governors from Nigeria’s southern states have banned open grazing of cattle across states in the region and called for the restructuring of the country to address issues threatening national unity.
While also restating their commitment to the unity of the country, the governors urged President Muhammadu Buhari to address Nigerians on the state of the nation.
The governors stated these at the end of their meeting on Tuesday in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Some of the governors in attendance were Nyesom Wike (Rivers), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Willie Obiano (Anambra), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), as well as Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
Some of the states and sub-regions had previously banned open grazing.
In February, the Nigerian Governors Forum, representing all 36 states in the country, said it had reached a consensus on the “need for the country to transition into modern systems of animal husbandry that will replace open, night, and underage grazing in the country.”
The ban on open grazing comes as the Nigerian government is yet to find a lasting solution to the herders’ crisis in different parts of the country.
Beyond the herdsmen crisis, the country continues to groan under diverse security threats of insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and secessionist agitations in the South-East and South-West.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday imposed new travel restrictions on India in light of the COVID-19 epidemic, barring most non-U.S. citizens from entering the United States.
The new restrictions, which take effect on Tuesday, May 4 at 12:01 am ET (0401 GMT), are on the advice of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and were imposed because "the magnitude and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic" in India was "surging," the White House said.
Biden on Friday signed a proclamation implementing the restrictions, which were first reported by Reuters.
The proclamation said India "accounts for over one-third of new global cases" and added that "proactive measures are required to protect the nation's public health from travelers entering the United States" from India.
In January, Biden issued a similar ban on most non-U.S. citizens entering the country who have recently been in South Africa. He also reimposed an entry ban on nearly all non-U.S. travelers who have been in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that allow travel across open borders. China and Iran are also both covered by the policy.
The policy means most non-U.S. citizens who have been in one of the stated countries within the last 14 days are not eligible to travel to the United States. Permanent U.S. residents and family members and some other non-U.S. citizens, such as students, are exempted.

The quick detection of an ultra-rare blood clotting reaction in some Covid-19 vaccine recipients showed the power of a federal warning system for vaccine safety issues, but experts worry that blind spots in the program could hamper detection of other unexpected side effects.
Before the pandemic began, the Food and Drug Administration had scaled back a program it used successfully to track adverse events during and after the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, and the agency is still ramping up its replacement, said Dr. Robert Chen, scientific director of the Brighton Collaboration, a nonprofit global vaccine safety network.
“It’s purely bad luck they were in between systems when Covid hit,” said Chen, who helped create the existing U.S. vaccine safety systems during nearly 30 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The safety of the Covid-19 vaccine is our most important and worrying issue. Although there are very few cases of side effects, it is also a fact. Especially the side effects of Johnson & Johnson vaccine some time ago are very worrying.

On April 19, 2021, Montana Governor, Greg Gianforte, signed House Bill 43 (“HB43” or the “Bill”) into law. The Bill, which is effective on January 1, 2022, expands access to telehealth services in Montana that was originally extended because of the public health emergency (the “Pandemic”).  HB43 continues in a long line of legislation across the country that have made permanent changes to telehealth exceptions implemented at the height of the Pandemic.
The Bill permanently lifts telehealth limitations that were paused during the Pandemic, like requiring an established patient-provider relationship in order to enable a provider to render certain  types of services via telehealth, as well as restrictions on geographic proximity and location restrictions for patients. HB43 also allows for additional types of technology to be used for telehealth services, such as audio-only calls.
In an April 19, 2021 Press Release (“Press Release”), Gov. Gianforte states that “Telehealth services are transforming how care is delivered in Montana, particularly in our frontier and rural communities”.  As discussed in our December 7, 2020 Blog Post “The Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act: A Matter of Healthcare Equity?”, a number of states have adopted audio-only practices as a means of allowing residents in more rural neighborhoods without access to broadband internet to still have access to medical care.  Montana’s Bill continues the trend of “telehealth equity” by allowing audio and audio-only communication to serve as an appropriate method of receiving medical service.
Additionally, HB43 extends telehealth coverage requirements to public employee benefit plans and self-insured student health plans. According to the Bill “[t]he commissioner may establish a self-insured student health plan for enrolled students of the system and their dependents, including students of a community college district”, and shall “design group benefit plans and establish premium levels for employees.” The Bill also provides that prior established patient-health care provider relationships are not required to receive services via telehealth, allowing more residents to have access to telehealth services with less hurdles.
Critics of audio-only telehealth measures argue that the use of an audio-only communication is not a sufficient measure for establishing appropriate patient-provider relationships. By removing the requirement for previously established patient-provider relationship, HB43 only exacerbates these concerns. Others, like the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Troy Downing, believe that the new telehealth measures would be “particularly useful to those in rural communities, our elderly, and our veterans” (See, Press Release).
We will continue to update this article, and others in our “State of Telehealth” series as additional information regarding the permanency of telehealth services becomes available.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States is looking to help India quickly and sharply scale up oxygen supplies available for Covid patients as it rushes in aid, officials said Thursday (April 29).
A first military plane loaded with emergency supplies including nearly one million instant tests and 100,000 N95 masks was arriving early Friday in New Delhi, part of what the White House said was more than US$100 million (S$132.64 million) in support.
The first priority "is to try and serve some immediate needs to address some of the acute challenges that they're having in their hospitals," said Mr Jeremy Konyndyk, executive director for the Covid task force at the US Agency for International Development.

"I think we're cognisant that that's a sort of stopgap approach and we also need to support them to address some of the underlying challenges, which is really about the volume of medical-grade oxygen that the country can produce," he told AFP.
The United States is in talks with India on identifying how to expand the "oxygen supply chain" including developing the technologies to convert industrial-grade oxygen for medical use and improving ways to transport it throughout the country.
The United States has also pledged assistance to India with vaccines, but Mr Konyndyk said that giving shots was more of a medium-term measure faced with the soaring cases in the billion-plus country.

The Nigeria health care system is faced with notable challenges ranging from poor infrastructures, inadequate funding, poor policymaking and implementation, among others, resulting in failure in the country’s healthcare delivery.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) 2018 report on analysis of the world health systems placed Nigeria at 187 out of 191, only came ahead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic and Myanmar.
However, the Federal Capital Territory Administration in 2006, initiated the Public Private Partnership (PPP) policy, using the Garki General Hospital Abuja as a pilot project.
The Garki Hospital is one of the oldest public hospitals in the FCT. It was built and established in 1986. The facility was operational for some years until some years back when it was shut down and needed to be renovated.
While the hospital was shut down, the then FCT minister now Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-rufai, started the initiative to concession the facility to a private hospital to manage in order to have a hospital that is able to deliver world care health services and also able to provide access in case of disruption in health care.
After very competitive bid, the NISA Hospital Jabi won the concession to manage the facility, and in May 2007, the hospital was handed over to NISA hospital to manage as a PPP together with the of FCT administration as partners.
This development however, came with concerns that the common man may not be able to access health care services in the facility since it is now partly private.
Reacting to this, the medical director/consultant family physician, Garki Hospital, Dr Adamu Onu, says from his experience, the reality about PPP is contrary to what a lot of people think.
He says “Basically we see a lot of patients and you know a lot of argument and conversation that go around this PPP has to do with affordability, there are those who believe this sought of arrangement would drive the cause of health care, but our experience shows that it is not so, and we can confidently say that this PPP here in Garki Hospital has helped to bring down the cost of health care for our patient that have access care here.
“For example, quiet a large number of our patients are insurance patients so that means they are not paying for health care out of their pocket, that itself has reduced the cost they have to bear, 60 per cent of our patients are under the National Health Insurance Scheme, everybody knows how useful that has been, I am pretty sure if you are able to meet people that have benefited from it they would tell you their stories.”
“We’ve had women coming and maybe you require cesarean session (CS) and it is done at no cost in their pockets except for the 10 per cent copay for drugs.”
According to him, part of the hospital’s vision is to offer world class health care with a broad range of specialties just like the teaching hospitals.
“We might be considered as a general hospital but we actually offer care at the level of tertiary, we have here an ICU, a five bed ICU where we take care of critically ill patient, if you look at the news archive you will see report about successful open heart surgeries done here, you will see news report about successful kidney transplant done right here. We also have advanced diagnostic aid, CT scans, MRI, and all sort of tools, and others, he explained.
Speaking further, Onu expressed optimism that the PPP model will help to restore confidence in the country’ health care system, saying most of the services available outside the country are also available in the hospital and patients are beginning to come from other African countries to access care in Nigeria.
“People are coming in from Ghana, from Liberia to have knee and hip replacement surgery which we do. These are things that people go to India to do but it is available here in the FCT,” he said.

Americans may be some of the first people allowed back to Europe for the summer of 2021 after nearly a year. The President of the European Commission Ursula von Der Leyen said she wants to see fully vaccinated American tourists back in the European Union.



Covid-19 has not disappeared. Vaccination does not mean that it is completely safe. I hope everyone will not relax their vigilance.

Dr chikwe ihekweazu, the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says pre- and post-travel tests and self-isolation are now extremely important to avert any sudden rise in COVID-19 cases.
Ihekweazu said that Nigeria could not afford another large outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in view of the happenings in other parts of the world.
He made the assertions on Monday at the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) briefing on COVID-19 pandemic in Abuja.
Ihekweazu said: “We cannot afford another large outbreak in Nigeria, and we must do all we can to prevent this.
“Please, let’s take responsibility. Adhere to all public health and social measures in place to protect us from COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreak.”
According to him, COVID-19 pandemic is not over.
“I am appealing to all Nigerians to adhere strictly to the measures put in place to protect us and our country.
“We have to do this to avoid sudden drastic measures that can also impact on our economy.
“We now have several tools in place that were not here at the beginning of the pandemic.
“The Antigen-based Rapid Diagnostic Tests can be useful in large workplaces, schools, camps and hospitals to rapidly test and reduce the risk of spread,” he said.
Ihekweazu urged the state governments to reinvigorate their responses, while heads of various institutions should introduce the measure as part of their health safety plans.
Dr chikwe ihekweazu, the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says pre- and post-travel tests and self-isolation are now extremely important to avert any sudden rise in COVID-19 cases.
Ihekweazu said that Nigeria could not afford another large outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in view of the happenings in other parts of the world.
He made the assertions on Monday at the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) briefing on COVID-19 pandemic in Abuja.
Ihekweazu said: “We cannot afford another large outbreak in Nigeria, and we must do all we can to prevent this.
“Please, let’s take responsibility. Adhere to all public health and social measures in place to protect us from COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreak.”
According to him, COVID-19 pandemic is not over.
“I am appealing to all Nigerians to adhere strictly to the measures put in place to protect us and our country.
“We have to do this to avoid sudden drastic measures that can also impact on our economy.
“We now have several tools in place that were not here at the beginning of the pandemic.
“The Antigen-based Rapid Diagnostic Tests can be useful in large workplaces, schools, camps and hospitals to rapidly test and reduce the risk of spread,” he said.
Ihekweazu urged the state governments to reinvigorate their responses, while heads of various institutions should introduce the measure as part of their health safety plans.
“Please scale up risk communications, keep sample collection sites open and available, ensure the laboratories are testing and contact tracing is happening.
“I also appeal to the media to continue support us in sharing the right message. We need more people to be vaccinated to reduce the risk of large outbreak.
“Please use your platforms to share the right message about COVID-19 vaccines and other preventive measures,” he pleaded.
The NCDC director-general said there were difficult decisions that needed to be made, but advised Nigerians, as individual, to help avert any tough situation.
He said pandemic fatigue was not unexpected, urging Nigerians not to forget where they were coming from and where some countries were at present.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged all citizens to be vaccinated and exercise caution, saying on Sunday the “storm” of infections had shaken India, as the country set a new global record of the most number of COVID-19 infections in a day.
The United States said it will immediately provide raw materials for one of the COVID-19 vaccines, medical equipment and protective gear to help India respond. France, Britain and Germany also promised rapid support.
The number of cases in India surged by 349,691 in the past 24 hours, the fourth straight day of record peaks. Hospitals in Delhi and across the country are turning away patients after running out of medical oxygen and beds.
"We were confident, our spirits were up after successfully tackling the first wave, but this storm has shaken the nation," Modi said in a radio address.
His government has faced criticism that it let its guard down earlier this year, allowed big religious and political gatherings to take place when India's cases fell to below 10,000 a day and did not plan for boosted healthcare systems.
Hospitals and doctors have put out urgent notices saying they are unable to cope with the rush of patients.
Outside a Sikh temple in Ghaziabad city on the outskirts of Delhi, the street resembled an emergency ward of a hospital, but crammed with cars carrying COVID-19 patients gasping for breath as they were hooked up to hand held oxygen tanks.
Elsewhere, people were arranging stretchers and oxygen cylinders outside hospitals as they desperately pleaded for authorities to take patients in, Reuters photographers said.
"Every day, it the same situation, we are left with two hours of oxygen, we only get assurances from the authorities," one doctor said on television.
Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended a lockdown in the capital that had been due to end on Monday for a week. COVID-19 is killing one person every four minutes in the city.

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine will be back in circulation this weekend after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accepted an advisory panel’s decision that the disease-fighting benefits of the shots outweighed the risks.
The CDC’s action lifted a 10-day pause that went into effect April 13 after federal safety monitors received reports of a rare but potentially deadly blood clotting disorder in people who received the J&J vaccine.
The restart means the single-dose shots will return to mass vaccination drives, pharmacies and doctors’ offices immediately. They will come with newly drafted fact sheets that detail the disorder that has been detected in 15 patients since the J&J vaccine rolled out on March 2.
In Los Angeles County, health officials said they expect to resume distribution of the J&J vaccine on Saturday.

“We are prepared to resume very quickly,” said Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer for the L.A. County Department of Public Health. “We are in the process of developing or finalizing education materials for clients and also providers so we can move forward in the safest way.”
The pause does not appear to have limited vaccine access in L.A. County, since supplies of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines remained high and demand for the shots has slowed, he added.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, said the country would benefit by having the Johnson & Johnson offering available alongside the two-dose vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
“The Johnson & Johnson is an important vaccine offering key advantages,” Walensky said. Key among them: It doesn’t require special refrigeration and it provides full protection in a single jab.
State and local health authorities are keen to use the vaccine in populations that are hard to reach or who may not return for a second dose. A longer pause was likely to impede the vaccination of homebound individuals, prisoners, homeless people and seasonal and migrant workers, the CDC said.

The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has delivered a shipment of COVID-19 supplies to the Zanzibar Ministry of Health.
USAID’s Global Health Supply Chain activity recently procured respiratory and sanitation supplies valued at $400,000. The supplies were delivered over the past month to the Port of Zanzibar and onward to public medical facilities through the central medical store. The shipment includes respiratory equipment such as pulse oximeters, pediatric and adult nasal cannulas, masks; and sanitation supplies such as backpack sprayers, and biohazard disposal bags.
Speaking on the delivery of medical equipment, Dr. Abdullah S. Ali, Director General of the Ministry of Health Social Welfare, Elderly, Gender and Children, Zanzibar remarked “We believe in partnership relations that deliver quality health care to the general population. The consignment of medical supplies received will fill the existing gaps in the reduction of the burden associated with the COVID 19 threat in terms of mortality, morbidity and hospitalizations.”
The United States government is committed to working side-by-side with all collaborators in Tanzania’s health sector to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. The U.S. is the single largest contributor to the international response to COVID-19, and over the last year, the United States has dedicated $16.4 million to the COVID-19 response in Tanzania.
U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Donald Wright said that the U.S. Government is pleased to partner with the Zanzibar Ministry of Health to provide these critical supplies.
“Our contribution of $400,000 worth of respiratory support and sanitation supplies is a symbol of our commitment to this partnership, and we look forward to working side by side with you and other stakeholders in the fight against COVID-19 and in our broader efforts to improve global health security,” he said.
“We also welcome President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s announcement that she intends to set up a taskforce to study COVID-19 and provide science-based advice on how to respond effectively. Additionally, the United States Government hopes a review of the evidence of vaccines is part of that process, as well as a commitment to enhanced reporting and data sharing.”

Over the years, concrete efforts have been made to develop Nigeria's indigenous IP regime. The earliest attempt at developing Nigeria’s IP dates to post-independence Nigeria. However, these various attempts have not been fruitful as Nigeria has failed to fully exploit the benefits that could be accrued from proper management and protection of Intellectual Property Rights in the country. The current economic and trade conditions in the world is susceptible to change, therefore requiring constant improvement to ensure economic development. These conditions will stimulate innovation and improvements in Nigeria’s technology, designs, and other tangible and intangible assets. It will also create incentives for Nigerians to invent continuously by providing some form of compensation and guarantee that innovations will be credited to the true inventors. This can only be achievable through the promotion of intellectual property rights and provisions of competent IP policies to promote economic development in Nigeria.  
 
IP can benefit the Nigerian economy in numerous ways:
One of the most intriguing benefits of Intellectual Property is its ability to influence investment. IP can attract foreign direct investment and provide the necessary conditions for the transfer of technology. This is evident in the number of investors from Europe and America that invest directly in tech startups in Nigeria. IP also facilitates the transfer of technology such as patent licensing through an active use of patent information. There is no doubt that IP protection plays a catalytic role in inspiring research and development in a country. Therefore, the effective commercialization of IP is indeed a significant stimulus to the economic growth of Nigeria, if properly managed and adequately protected.
IP Challenges in the Nigerian Economy
The IP regime in Nigeria has a lot of challenges. These challenges have hindered the growth and development of IP in Nigeria and caused a setback in the various attempts to fully commercialize IP in Nigeria. One of the dominating challenges of IP in Nigeria is the lack of proper sensitization on the various benefits that could be gotten from IP. Also, most Nigerians are ignorant about their IP rights due to the absence of educative IP seminars for potential IP owners, non-incorporation of courses on IP in the curriculum of Nigerian Universities, amongst other inherent challenges.
Another challenge with IP in Nigeria is the passive involvement of the Government in Intellectual Property Law. It is apparent that most Nigerian IP laws are archaic and outdated. For instance, the Trade Marks Act was enacted in 1967 (which is a re-enactment of the UK's 1938 Trade Marks Act).
Also, most innovations are not registered due to a lack of adequate Property laws to protect the interests of creators by giving them proprietary rights (Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)) over their creations. Infringement of IPRs undermines genuine investment in creativity, innovation, and knowledge. Invariably, the granting of exclusive proprietary rights (usually in consideration of the disclosure of the creation), creates an incentive for creators to develop, produce, and distribute new and genuine goods and services for commercial purpose.
Further to the above identified challenges, IP Infringements is another major challenge to IP rights and development in Nigeria. These violations are more dominant in the following industries: book publishing (book piracy), information and communications technology – ICT – (internet & software piracy) and film and entertainment (musical & cinematography disc piracy). A Piracy study undertaken by Business Software Alliance analysts revealed that "Nigeria is ranked among 25 countries where piracy is most prevalent.
Coupled with infringement of IP rights is the lack of an efficient deterrent enforcement system. It is apparent that reforming our IP legislation alone may not achieve optimum results in protecting IPR holders, except the mechanism for enforcing the law is equally enhanced. Law enforcement agents, particularly the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigeria Customs Service, need to be more empowered to carry out their policing and prosecution functions.
Another setback to the commercialization of IP in Nigeria is the unwillingness of the Nigerian Legislature to domesticate IP Treaties such as The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the Patent Cooperation Treaty. It is noteworthy that this setback is attributable to the provision of the constitution that does not allow a treaty to be domesticated automatically upon ratification. According to Section 12 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria “No treaty between the federation and any other country shall have the face of law except to the extent to which such treaty has been enacted into law by the national assembly.”
Inadequate policies by Government on Intellectual Property also form a roadblock to IP commercialization in Nigeria. For instance, there is currently no special body with the mandate to generally oversee the various IP regimes in Nigeria instead certain industry-specific institutions and regulations have been established over the years to govern IP in the country like The Nigerian Copyright Commission, The Trademarks, Patents and Designs Registry etc