₦airaland Forum

When the federal government of Nigeria banned Twitter on July 4, 2020, it gave no thought to the importance of the platform. All that mattered was the bruised ego of President Muhammadu Buhari, who felt insulted because his tweet—in which he had threatened to “treat those misbehaving today in a language they understand”—was deleted for violating Twitter’s policy and his account temporarily suspended.
But millions of Nigerians, especially young people, rely on social media platforms. They’re trying to use tech and social media to solve local problems in Nigeria, from entertainment to health to fin-tech. In 2019, there were about 24.59 million social network users in Nigeria, a figure projected to grow to 44.63 million users in 2025 as more and more users are able to access the internet and others begin to understand the role that social media plays in business, job creation, advocacy, and politics.
In April, Twitter announced that it was setting up operations in Ghana. In the statement announcing their decision, the company stated that Ghana is a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and open internet. The move itself was unsurprising. During the #EndSARS protests against police brutality, oppression, and extrajudicial arrests and killings which were held across various states in Nigeria and the diaspora in October 2020, Twitter amplified the hashtag, which quickly gained traction and trended across multiple countries, with CEO Jack Dorsey sharing donation links to funding the protests across Nigeria. This, afterwards, prompted a discourse on regulating social media by Lai Mohammed—Nigeria’s minister of information and culture—and some northern governors.
Twitter has been at the forefront of the Nigerian social media revolution. It has a large number of young users, unhindered from airing their opinions. It was especially critical in organizing and crowd funding for the #EndSARS protests in October 2020. That may be why the government was quick to impose a ban on the slightest provocation.
This is nothing more than a political revolution deal, closing Twitter or restrictions, will certainly get opposed, people must oppose.

The United Nigeria Airline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bayelsa State for the commencement of direct scheduled flight operations into and out of Bayelsa International Airport.
Mr Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, the Head, Corporate Communications, confirmed the agreement in a statement in Lagos on Thursday.
Uchegbu explained that according to the terms of the agreement, United Nigeria would operate four daily flights in and out of the airport.
“United Nigeria will service the Bayelsa International Airport daily from the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MM2) in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
“With the MoU, the airline will commence direct flight operations to Bayelsa International Airport in July,” he said.
Uchegbu said that the MOU was signed in the presence of Gov. Duoye Diri of Bayelsa and the state’s executive council.
Speaking, Diri noted that with the signing of the MOU, Bayelsans would begin to reap the benefits of the government’s investment in infrastructure.
The governor said that the venture would open Bayelsa, the resource base of the Nigeria to the world.
Diri said the airline was chosen as partner because of its quality of service and efficiency.
Mr Osita Okonkwo, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), United Nigeria Airline, thanked the government and people of the state for choosing it.
He gave assurance that the airline would continue to offer the quality service that the airline was known for.

Journalists in Nigeria may soon be liable to spend up to 3 years in prison for violating a new law being put forward by the House of Representatives.
The proposed law which is an an amendment of the National Broadcasting Commission Bill and the Nigerian Press Council Act was sponsored by Odebunmi Olusegun, APC, Oyo State and Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values.
According to the submitted document, the bill seeks to remove bottlenecks affecting its performance and make the press council operate in tune with the current realities in regulating media.

However, the new bill has been met with resistance. The Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), umbrella organisation for the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has rejected the bill.
Similarly, the International Press Centre (IPC) has kicked against it saying the content of the bill is an attempt by the government to criminalize journalism in the country.
The Senate however feels differently. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, expressed that the current efforts to amend the NBC Act and other relevant laws should not be misinterpreted as an attempt to stifle freedom of speech and free press. He added that it is to improve and sanitise the media industry and not to stifle the civic space.
Digging down to the roots of the bill, analysis shows that the concerns of the NPO and its sister organisations are not unfounded. Certain highlights of the bill reflect a black time for the press in Nigeria. Below are some of them.

The United Nigeria Airline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bayelsa State for the commencement of direct scheduled flight operations into and out of Bayelsa International Airport.
Mr Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, the Head, Corporate Communications, confirmed the agreement in a statement in Lagos on Thursday.
Uchegbu explained that according to the terms of the agreement, United Nigeria would operate four daily flights in and out of the airport.
“United Nigeria will service the Bayelsa International Airport daily from the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MM2) in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
“With the MoU, the airline will commence direct flight operations to Bayelsa International Airport in July,” he said.
Uchegbu said that the MOU was signed in the presence of Gov. Duoye Diri of Bayelsa and the state’s executive council.
Speaking, Diri noted that with the signing of the MOU, Bayelsans would begin to reap the benefits of the government’s investment in infrastructure.
The governor said that the venture would open Bayelsa, the resource base of the Nigeria to the world.
Diri said the airline was chosen as partner because of its quality of service and efficiency.
Mr Osita Okonkwo, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), United Nigeria Airline, thanked the government and people of the state for choosing it.
He gave assurance that the airline would continue to offer the quality service that the airline was known for.

54gene, a health technology firm, has been selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers.

This was disclosed by WEF via a statement, which was seen by Nairametrics on Tuesday.

It stated that 54gene, which derives insights from the world’s most diverse populations to solve some of healthcare’s biggest challenges, generates genetic insights from research cohorts in the world’s most diverse populations to improve the development, availability and efficacy of therapeutics and diagnostics that will prove beneficial to all populations.

According to the statement, the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers are early to growth-stage companies from around the world using new technologies and innovations that are poised to have a significant impact on business and society.

Trustfund Pensions Limited
What is WEF saying
Susan Nesbitt, Head of the Global Innovators Community, World Economic Forum, said:

“54gene will also contribute to Forum initiatives over the next two years, working with global leaders to help address key industry and societal issues.

We’re excited to welcome 54gene to our 2021 cohort of Technology Pioneers. 54gene and its fellow pioneers are developing technologies that can help society solve some of its most pressing issues. We look forward to their contribution to the World Economic Forum in its commitment to improving the state of the world.”


What is 54gene saying
“It is truly an honour to be recognised as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum,” said 54gene’s Dr Abasi Ene-Obong.

“This is testament to the outstanding collective output of the 54gene team to address global health disparities and to imagine a world where precision medicine applies equally to all irrespective of one’s geographical location or economic status. There’s a long journey ahead and we look forward to continuing to collaborate and innovate with other mission-driven organizations all over the world,” he added.


What you should know
For the first time in the community’s history, over 30% of the cohort are led by women.

The firms also come from regions all around the world, extending their community far beyond Silicon Valley. This year’s cohort includes start-ups from 26 economies, with UAE, El Salvador, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe represented for the first time.

The diversity of these companies extends to their innovations as well. 2021 Tech Pioneer firms are shaping the future by advancing technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, biotechnology and many more.

Technology Pioneers were selected based on the community’s selection criteria, which includes innovation, impact and leadership as well as the company’s relevance with the World Economic Forum’s Platform.

A third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine may boost protection for some people with weakened immune systems, according to a study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The study, from researchers at Johns Hopkins University, included 30 organ transplant recipients, all of whom had been fully vaccinated with two doses of an mRNA vaccine, either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. Because organ transplant recipients must take immune-suppressing medications to ensure that their body does not reject the transplant, there’s concern that they may not develop robust responses to the vaccines, leaving them vulnerable to Covid-19.
Indeed, despite being fully vaccinated, the vast majority of patients in the study — 24 patients — had no antibodies against the coronavirus, and six patients had only low levels.
So, the researchers gave them a third dose of the vaccine, either Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. About two weeks later, their antibody levels were measured again. In patients who had no antibodies to begin with, eight had an increase following their third dose of the vaccine. And in the six patients who started off with low levels, all had an increase in antibodies against the coronavirus.
Though the study was small, the findings could be important for millions of Americans who are immune-compromised and still vulnerable to Covid-19, even after being vaccinated. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 17,000 transplants were performed in the first five months of 2021 alone.
“To me the main message here for transplant patients and immunosuppressed patients is a message of hope,” said Dr. Dorry Segev, an author of the study and associate vice chair for research and professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University.
That message has been received by organ transplant recipients such as Tamsin Skeels, 50, of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Skeels, who was not a part of the new study, underwent a liver transplant in September 2019, just a few months before the pandemic hit.
A few months ago, she got the Covid-19 vaccine under the guidance of her physicians.
But they cautioned her to remain vigilant about avoiding infection. "Don't change your behavior from quarantine," her transplant team advised, Skeels recalled. "Stay at home as much as possible. When you do go out, stay protected. Stay masked and stay distant, even after vaccination."
Even if the vaccines do not offer maximum protection for those with compromised immune systems, they can help indirectly when others get the shots.
"The more people that get vaccinated, the safer people on immunosuppressants will be," Skeels said.
Segev and his team had found in earlier research that only 17 percent of transplant patients mounted an immune response after one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. After a second dose, that number rose to 54 percent, but that left 46 percent potentially unprotected.
“I’m pleasantly surprised” that some patients in the new study who hadn’t responded to two doses were able to mount a response after a third dose, Segev said.

The U.S. government will share the majority of its donated Covid-19 vaccine doses through COVAX, the World Health Organization-led program that provides shots to countries in need, the White House announced Thursday.
The Biden administration has committed to donating at least 20 million doses of Covid vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson as well as 60 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccines, which has not yet been authorized for use in the United States.
The U.S. plans to allocate 75% of the vaccines through the COVAX global vaccine sharing program, the White House in an email. Of the first 25 million doses, about 6 million will go to countries in South and Central America, 7 million to Asia and 5 million to Africa, the White House said. About 6 million will go to neighboring countries and U.S. allies.
At least 25% of shots will be kept for immediate U.S. needs and for “countries in need, those experiencing surges, immediate neighbors, and other countries that have requested immediate U.S. assistance,” according to the plan.
The administration is donating the shots to “save lives” and thwart the emergence of new variants,  national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday.
“The United States is not doing this as some kind of back-and-forth deal where we are getting something in return,” Sullivan said at a White House briefing. “We are giving these for a single purpose. It is the purpose of ending this pandemic.”
The announcement comes as world leaders urge wealthy nations such as the U.S. to donate Covid shots to other countries. While the U.S. has returned to some form of normality as more Americans get vaccinated and new cases fall, other countries, like India, have experienced huge outbreaks.
Just last week, the WHO said Africa needed at least 20 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine within six weeks to get the second round of shots to people who have received the first.
The head of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations told Reuters that leaders of the Group of 7 rich nations must donate shots urgently to avoid an outcome akin to the 1918 flu pandemic, which killed 50 million people.
“It’s a moral imperative if we want to avoid situations like Peru, if we want to avoid impacts that could rival those of the 1918 flu, we must send vaccine to countries to protect their health-care workers and protect the vulnerable populations now,” Richard Hatchett, chief executive of CEPI which co-runs the COVAX vaccine sharing facility, told Reuters.
In addition to donating the doses, the White House also announced it is lifting restrictions as part of the Defense Production Act that gave the U.S. priority for vaccines developed by AstraZeneca, Sanofi and Novavax.

Under the current global situation of the global epidemic, countries should share effective experience in epidemic prevention and control, especially in the vaccine issue, they must adhere to the principle of sharing and increase the release of vaccines.

Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed, has disclosed that the FG approved the sum of N83.56 billion to purchase 30 million J&J vaccines during the N895 billion supplementary budget session.
The Minister disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
What the Minister said
”The total of this expenditure is made up of N83.56 billion for COVID-19 vaccine programme, covering 30 billion vaccines from Johnson and Johnson vaccines and the logistics cost related to the deployment of that vaccine.
It also contains the sum of N1.69 billion for the Nigerian Comprehensive AIDS programme currently operating in the States and an additional contingency provision of N40 billion under the public service-wide wage adjustments to take care of the needs for allowances to the health and education sectors and other wage-related issues.
This is an incremental provision to the N100 billion already provided for in the 2021 budget,” she said.

The large purchase of vaccines can ensure safe vaccination, and better ensure people's safety and normal life.

With only 3 weeks left to President Joe Biden's July 4th goal of seeing 70% of all American adults with at least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine, national vaccination rates are dropping across the country to fewer than 1 million shots administered per day.
That's a decline of more than 70% from the national peak of 3.4 million shots per day administered in April, according to a Washington Post analysis.
The slowdown is nationwide, but states in the South and Midwest report plummeting numbers. In Alabama, only 4 people per 10,000 residents got vaccinated last week.
According to the analysis, 13 states have met Biden's goal, and another 15 states, and Washington D.C., have vaccinated well over 60% of their adult populations and are forecasted to meet the Fourth of July goal.
But in 15 states, about half of adults or fewer have received at least one dose, according to a New York Times analysis.
The slowdown in vaccination efforts could lead to a summer and fall surge of virus activity in states with low coverage, including many Southern states, some experts warned.

Chile's health ministry on Thursday said it would raise the minimum age of men approved to receive the AstraZeneca (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine to 45 from 18, and suspend administering second doses until authorities complete an investigation into a man who had a blood clot after his first shot.
Chile, a leader in vaccinating its citizens against the virus, received its first doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine in April. Regulators initially approved the vaccine for men over 18 and women over 45.


Both preventive measures and proactive measures should be in place. The vaccine should be actively vaccinated to effectively control the epidemic. The vaccination situation is good and should be accepted.

West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, a crucial swing vote in the United States Senate, announced on Sunday he intends to oppose a sweeping voting rights bill backed by the majority of his fellow Democrats that would expand access to voting across the US.
Speaking on “Fox News Sunday”, Manchin said the bill, known as the For the People Act, “is the wrong piece of legislation to bring our country together and unite our country, and I’m not supporting that because I think it will divide us further”.
Manchin is key to control of the US Senate, which is divided equally between Democrats and Republicans. He has at times proven to be a thorn in the Biden administration’s side by crossing party lines to oppose legislation or block White House appointees.
He has also continually opposed efforts to eliminate the filibuster, which would make it easier for Democrats to pass legislation.
Manchin’s intention to oppose the voting rights bill if it is brought to the Senate floor will complicate matters for Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has promised to advance the legislation despite having no support from Republicans.
The bill would require states to expand mail-in voting, which was used widely in last year’s presidential election because of the coronavirus pandemic, and it would also lengthen the hours of in-person balloting.
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the lead sponsor of the For the People Act, said in a statement he is disappointed by Manchin’s position, but he would not give up.
“I am open to any conversation about the provisions of this bill, and will not give up on American democracy,” he said.
Republican-controlled state legislatures in places such as Texas and Georgia have since sought to greatly scale back mail-in voting, as former President Donald Trump has continued to make false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
Manchin outlined in greater detail his opposition to the voting rights bill in an op-ed published on Sunday in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, saying he is concerned by the total lack of Republican support for the measure.
“Voting and election reform that is done in a partisan manner will all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen,” he wrote.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Half of U.S. states, all of them led by Republican governors, are cutting off billions of dollars in unemployment benefits for residents, rebuffing a key part of President Joe Biden’s response to the coronavirus recession.The payments - an extra $300 per week from the federal government to unemployment recipients because of the pandemic - have become part of a political battle in Washington over how to best guide the country out of an economic downturn.
Maryland on Tuesday became the 25th state to announce it would stop the $300-per-week benefits before the federal program lapses in September. Governor Larry Hogan said that while the program gave “important temporary relief” during the pandemic, it was no longer needed now that “vaccines and jobs ... are in good supply.”
Hogan is following 24 other GOP state leaders and business lobbying groups, who say the benefits mean people are turning down good jobs, leaving companies without the workers they need to reopen.
The Biden administration, Democrats, workers, activists and some economists argue, however, that a host of ongoing troubles - from lack of childcare to continued fear of infection to low wages - are keeping people out of the labor force. Just over 41% of the United States’ 328 million people are fully vaccinated.
The United States is about to undergo a real-time test of the issue. The 25 states turning down the federal cash have announced different end dates for the program. Benefits expire June 12 in Alaska, Iowa, Mississippi and Missouri, with the other 21 states falling off through July 10.
Unemployed workers may still be eligible for regular state unemployment benefits. But those vary widely. Unemployed people must take suitable jobs that are offered, White House officials have emphasized.
“Our view is that it’s going to take time for workers to regain confidence in the safety of the workplace, re-establish childcare, school, and commuting arrangements, and finish getting vaccinated,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday. The White House would not try to stop states from cutting special unemployment benefits, she said last month.
Based on data from May 8 Department of Labor records, about 2.8 million people were collecting pandemic benefits in the 25 states terminating the program in the next few weeks.
Job postings are at a record high in the United States, while job growth in April was a disappointing 266,000. Employers in industries from manufacturing to hospitality say they’re desperately seeking more workers.
White House officials fear that rushing to kill programs too early, before mass vaccination is completed, could hurt working people and an economy still struggling to get back to health and millions of jobs short of where it was before the pandemic.
A May Quinnipiac poll found that 54% of Americans agree states should cut off the extra benefits early. Surplus money for workers was popular with voters through 2020, when Biden’s promise of stimulus helped the Democrat garner the votes needed to defeat Republican President Donald Trump.
Enriching and expanding unemployment insurance - broadening eligibility to include “gig” workers and topping up the state payments with what was initially $600 per week - was considered key in the Biden White House battle against what threatened to be a deep and enduring pandemic recession.
The extra money led to the odd circumstance of many workers earning more on unemployment than in their jobs, but that helped boost the economy in unexpected ways: personal income actually rose during the pandemic, household saving spiked, consumption held up as people splurged on new cars and appliances, and a feared wave of debt defaults never occurred.

World Health Organization members agreed Monday to strengthen the global body at the heart of the pandemic response and give it more secure and flexible funding to better deal with future outbreaks.
The 194 member states, in a 14-page resolution on the last day of the virtual annual World Health Assembly, also agreed to “strengthen WHO’s capacity to rapidly and appropriately assess disease outbreaks” of possible global concern.
Countries and institutions had been woefully unprepared to deal with Covid-19, according to the findings of three independent panels that had reported to the assembly.
They called for a total overhaul of the global alarm system, and for a stronger, more independent WHO to help avert future pandemics.
One of the reports found that the UN agency had been too slow in declaring a so-called Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO sounded its highest level of alert on January 30, 2020.
After days of discussion, members agreed to create a new working group to study and streamline the numerous recommendations in the reports, and create concrete proposals for next year’s assembly to consider.
The text called for member states to “ensure the adequate, flexible, sustainable and predictable financing of WHO’s programme budget.”
Only about 16 percent of the WHO budget comes from regular membership fees, with the remainder coming from voluntary and heavily earmarked contributions.
Monday’s resolution also called on all countries to strengthen their core public health capacities, increase their ability to detect new threats and communicate such threats effectively both at home and internationally.
To ensure all nations do their part, it also instructed WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to consider creating a pilot project for countries to submit to regular peer reviews of their pandemic preparedness by other members, in the same way they undergo reviews of their rights situations before the UN Human Rights Council.
The resolution meanwhile stopped short of explicitly backing the experts’ recommendation to hand the WHO broader powers to launch investigations or communicate about health threats without waiting for a green light from the countries concerned.
Also on Monday, countries decided to put off discussing whether or not to move towards creating an international treaty to prepare for the next global pandemic until later this year.
They ordered Tedros to convene a special session of the assembly in late November “dedicated to considering the benefits of developing a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response”.
Only two international treaties have previously been negotiated under the auspices of the WHO in its 73-year history: the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2003 and the International Health Regulations in 2005.
Now it is a period of high incidence of COVID-19. The establishment of a stronger organization to deal with COVID-19 can provide help in many ways. This may be able to improve the country's COVID-19.

Lagos State Government has revealed that since the commencement of the new guidelines and the ban on non-Nigerians travelling from three countries, India, Brazil, and Turkey, into Nigeria, nine passengers into the state have tested positive for COVID-19 and successfully isolated to prevent community transmission.

Meanwhile, out of the 568 in-bound passengers, who have been permitted to enter Nigeria from those three countries, 119 have refused isolation and 16 are unaccounted for.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this while giving an update on COVID-19 response, vaccination strategy and implementation of new guidelines.



According to Abayomi, "Since the commencement of the new guidelines and the ban, Lagos State has recorded 568 in-bound passengers, who have been permitted to enter Nigeria from these three countries.

"We have isolated 433 passengers in our various accredited hotels and facilities; 262 are in Isolation and 154 passengers have been discharged with a negative COVID-19 test.

"Nine have tested positive for COVID-19 and successfully isolated to prevent community transmission. Of the remaining 135 passengers, 119 have refused isolation and 16 are unaccounted for."

While frowning at the act of passenger absconding, Abayomi, urged the families of those that have refused to be isolated to appeal to their loved ones to return for testing and isolation to avoid being sanctioned.

The commissioner recalled that on May 24, 2021, the Presidential Steering Committee led by Mr. Boss Mustapha in collaboration with the COVID-19 response in Lagos State, led by the Incident Commander, the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, published the first list of defaulters of the laid down protocols travelling through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport as it relates to the red-listed countries India, Brazil and Turkey.



Speaking on the coronavirus Act and Sanctions, Abayomi stressed," Whilst the State has gone through great lengths to provide a seamless experience for passengers, it is important that the passengers adhere strictly to the laid-out protocols to avoid sanctions which may include penalties and/or prison time as laid out by the Lagos State House of Assembly and to be implemented by the Attorney General of the State.

"The new Coronavirus Act of 2021 empowers Mr. Governor to quarantine anyone he deems fit and for any period of time. The act also empowers him to sanction erring individuals with fines of up to N500,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 5 years. According to the act, providing false or deliberately misleading information when filling out the online platform is an offence punishable by 1-year imprisonment and/or fines according to Section 17 of the Coronavirus Pandemic law 2021.



"According to Section 17 of same, if passengers break the quarantine rules, they may be required to pay the stipulated fine and/or 1-year imprisonment. All passengers are advised to avoid the long arm of the law and act in good conscience by adhering to the guidelines to protect the lives and livelihood of all Lagos residents."

While also urging all affected passengers to contact the lead Case Management Unit, Dr. Abimbola Bowale, on bimbobowale@gmail.com to verify their status, the commissioner added that the list of names who might have been mistakenly placed on the list and have been cleared would be sent to the Presidential Steering Committee for removal from the published names.

"However, all passengers that have been confirmed absconders will have their passports deactivated for a minimum of 1 year, if Nigerian and if foreign, will have their resident permits cancelled and deported as stated by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.

"All absconders will also face the penalties of the Coronavirus Pandemic Law 2021 of Lagos State, including varying lengths of prison time up to one year and fines of up to N500,000. All affected passengers are to present themselves to the Yaba Mainland Hospital for assessment and COVID-19 tests to evaluate their status," Abayomi maintained.

On the implementation of mandatory isolation for travelers, he explained, "Lagos State accounts for more than 95 percent of the in-bound passengers into the country and, as such, the state government has set up a system as well as protocols to manage in-bound passengers from all countries, especially countries where variants are actively circulating.

"Lagos State Government is working closely with Federal Airports Authority and Agencies. We have set up structures that will ease the passenger journey by modifying the Lagos State booking platform to provide several hotels that have been accredited by our Accreditation Agencies for passengers arriving from India, Brazil, or Turkey.

"Lagos State medical personnel have been posted to these hotels to support the management of passengers of interest in situations that the passengers might need some medical care.

"Passengers with medical conditions should elect to stay at our isolation centre in Yaba Mainland Hospital or at the Gbagada Isolation Centre as these facilities have additional amenities to provide medical care, if required."

Abayomi stressed that that logistics services with security have been provided through logistics partner to transport passengers from the airport to their individual hotels at no additional costs.

On the update on Covid-19 response in the state, Abayomi, revealed that as at May 27, 2021, the state had tested 495,339 COVID-19 samples, with 58,975 of the samples confirmed positive.

54,426 recovered in community and 274 are active in the community adding that of the 58,975 confirmed cases, 356 deaths were, unfortunately, recorded amounting to a death rate of 0.6 per cent.

On COVID-19 vaccination strategy, Abayomi explained, "On Friday, May 28, 2021, we commenced the administration of the second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. Given the requirement for achieving herd immunity (60% of the total population vaccinated), Lagos State still needs to vaccinate about14 a million people to reach this target, as is actively happening in many parts of the world, to collectively eradicate this global pandemic.

"Therefore, the government is considering several channels, including discussions with the Federal Government and the Private Sector, to ramp up the vaccination numbers.

"The administration of the second dose is in continuation of Phase 1 COVID vaccination that started on March 12, 2021. For anyone to be fully vaccinated, two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine are required with an interval of 6-12 weeks. The second dose will be administrated on working days (Monday to Friday) across our approved 88 health facilities till the 9th of July 2021."

The commissioner, therefore, urged citizens who have received their first dose to proceed to the health facilities where they got their first dose on their scheduled appointment dates, which are clearly stated on the vaccination card that was issued.

He also advised them to avoid overcrowding and overwhelming the health workers by staggering their arrival at the vaccination site from between 8 am to 1 pm.

Abayomi reiterated that every vaccinated person should visit the health facility where they got their first dose with their vaccination cards so that the process is seamless, and their data accurately captured.

He also urged all persons who visit the health facilities to continue to adhere to the infection prevention and control measures to mitigate the spread of the virus.

"We must continue to wear our face masks in public, avoid large crowds and practise good hand and respiratory hygiene until about 60% of our population has been vaccinated to achieve herd immunity," the commissioner stated.

However, as part of the strategies to curb the third wave, Abayomi said the state government will carry out the following activities: Ramp up testing and ensure all travelers carry out COVID-19 tests, introduce new PCR tests to determine variants of the virus for confirmed positives cases and those that turn out to be positive for variants will be subjected to a mandatory 14-day quarantine or till they clear the virus, utilizing EKOTELEMED to monitor confirmed cases and provide telemedicine services.

Others on life: "Enforce Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions, that is, hand washing, social distancing, thresholds for public gathering, discourage super spreader events. ramping up its oxygen supply and logistics management, apply the new guidelines as published by the COVID-19 Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) for all inbound travelers into the country from India, Brazil and Turkey, among others.

Workers in the Nigerian healthcare sector will begin to earn improved hazard allowance soon, according to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.
Ngige gave the assurance while speaking at the 41st Ordinary General Meeting of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in Awka on Thursday.
Ngige was represented by Dr Emmanuel Azuike, the Acting Chairman of the Chief Medical Advisory Committee at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka.
He said series of meetings had been held on the upward review of health workers’ hazard allowance and that discussions had reached an advanced stage.
The minister said that in no distance time, figures would be fixed and health workers would begin to earn higher hazard allowances.
Ngige, who is a medical doctor, commended resident doctors for their contributions to the nation’s health sector while urging them to tow the path of dialogue in resolving any industrial issue.
“I am always open for dialogue; the president of NARD can always reach me through phone on any matter.
On his part, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, National President of NARD, called on government at all levels to fund the healthcare sector to enable it shoulder the immense demand for health services.
Okhuaihesuyi said that the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 exposed the inefficiency in the sector as public health institutions could not respond to the scourge readily due to poor infrastructure.
He recalled that no fewer than 19 NARD members died in the fight against COVID-19 while a number of them had been lost to brain drain as they moved to countries that provided better welfare and work tools.
“The pandemic dealt heavily with resident doctors having lost over 19 of our members to this scourge, but we are relieved that our service to humanity has not fallen short of our mantra and calling.
“Poor Remuneration, Poor Health Institutions has been the strong reasons for migrations and this has further weakened our resolve to stand firm for our citizens.
“This Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) provides us with the platform to X-ray our plights and shortcomings as it pertains to our welfare, it is another opportunity to extensively deliberate on all issues that bothered on quality healthcare delivery in Nigeria,’’ he said.
Dr Dubem Awachie, Chairman of the Local Organisation Committee, said the meeting commenced on Monday with visits to the state government and host institutions, Azikiwe Varsity and Ojukwu University Teaching Hospitals.
Awachie said that no fewer than 200 delegates came from across the country while assuring that logistics had been put in place for a memorial meeting.
“Anambra is a home of hospitality, delegates are assured of comfort and security while they are here because the governor, Gov. Willie Obiano placed high premium on health, security and welfare of the people,’’ he said.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr Nosa Orhue, a Consultant Public Health Physician, who spoke on the theme “Career Pathway for Doctors: Addressing the Needless Controversies and Way Forward’’.
The OGM was declared open by Obiano, who was represented by Dr Vincent Okpala, the Commissioner of Health in the state.

While there has been no official word, a highly placed source in the Blaine port of entry told local immigration attorney Len Saunders on May 25 that the U.S. intends to unilaterally open the land border without restrictions between the U.S. and Canada on June 22. Another ranking CBP officer also confirmed the news independently. It appears to be common scuttlebutt among regular line officers both in the CBP and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The current border closure order was extended on May 20 until June 21.
The border was closed to non-essential traffic on March 20, 2020. At the same time, the U.S. also suspended biometrics processing at e-SAFE ports of entry for non-essential travel and has extended the suspension each month in coordination with the border closure. Biometric processing requires individuals who are submitting electronic immigration files to go to designated ports of entry for photographs and fingerprints. On Tuesday, May 25, local immigration attorneys were notified that biometric processing had resumed, effective immediately.
Saunders declined to identify his first source publicly but said, “He has been highly reliable in the past and is in a position to know.” Saunders said the second source is equally reliable. There have been inchoate rumors circulating the last few days in government circles regarding upcoming changes to border restrictions but nothing definite.
If accurate, the U.S. move will place significant pressure on Canada to consider relaxing border restrictions at a time when provincial governments are still locking down their residents. Travel from one part of B.C. to another is still prohibited as is inter-provincial movement. Still, with Canadians eager to return to travel to their cabins in the U.S. or to vacation destinations, the Canadian government will be hard-pressed to deal with returning residents who don’t want to undergo 14-day quarantines as currently required. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had recently said the border would not be opened until 75 percent of Canadians had received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Absent a similar move from the Canadian government, the U.S. decision will not affect the ability of Point Roberts residents to access the mainland for non-essential purposes. It will, however, allow Canadians who own cabins in Birch Bay, Point Roberts and other areas to enter the U.S. to access them. As well, once they are here, they will be able to take advantage of Covid-19 vaccinations available through the various service providers.
At time of press, calls seeking information from CBP, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. federal politicians had not been returned.

The Senate has approved the deployment of the 5G network in Nigeria, following the outcome of investigations by a Joint Committee mandated to carry out same. The approval followed the consideration of the report of the Joint Committee on Communications, Science and Technology, ICT and Cyber Crimes, and Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases. The report was laid and presented by the Chairman, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central), during plenary on Wednesday. The upper chamber during consideration of the report, adopted the Joint Committee’s recommendations which were outcomes of investigation into the Status of 5G Network in Nigeria and its technological impact on Nigerian citizens. The upper chamber amid the adopted recommendations posited that the technological impact of 5G will revolutionize Nigerians’ way of life from education to agriculture, security to entertainment, and governance in general if the technology is deployed. It explained that its decision to recommend the deployment of the 5G technology was based on information provided by Government establishments such as the Federal ministry of communications and Digital Economy, the Nigerian Communications Commission, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Information Technology Development Agency etc, and other telecoms professional organisations such as the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Global System of Mobile Communications Association. It, however, added that though no license has been issued to any Mobile Number Operator on commercial basis, Nigeria should still observe the trend of 5G deployments around the globe and engage in extensive sensitization of the public through all channels before commencement of commercial deployments in the country. Accordingly, the Upper Chamber urged relevant Government Agencies to embark on preparing the ground by putting the necessary infrastructure and technology in place for its eventual deployment. It emphasized that, “this period of ground preparation is expected to be utilized to complete feasibility studies for the various broadband projects in order to ascertain actual cost implications for their implementation, complete sustainability plans, provide enabling environment including free Right of Way (ROW); tax waivers, sustainable power supply, improve security of men, materials, and equipment, eliminate multiple regulations and charges, recognize telecommunications infrastructure as public utility infrastructure; and engender public trust and confidence.” The Senate further called on Federal Government to ensure that global standards for the deployment of 5G technology are strictly adhered to, while looking out for lessons learnt by countries that have already deployed in order to guide our own deployment. “Lessons from South Korea, the first country with substantial deployment would be instructive in this regard. “It is imperative that intense safety standards and precaution, based on available evidence, are put in place for wireless radiation system ahead of wide scale implementation,” the upper chamber advised. It added that given the infancy of the technology across the globe and claims and counterclaims surrounding the probability of health injury posed to public health by the level of exposure to radio frequency, further attention should be given to testing and researching potential health risk that may arise from the deployment of 5G network Nigeria, considering real-life situation rather than just laboratory conditions. The Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to expedite the action of the Joint Committee put in place to develop Consultation Document (CD) for the deployment of 5G in Nigeria which includes planning spectrum identified for the technology with the inputs of all relevant stakeholders such as the relevant Committees of the National Assembly and the security agencies.It also further tasked the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to publish the outcome of the work of its Technical Advisory Committee charged to advise on emerging technologies and products and, as a matter of urgency, build the National Backbone which will run from Lagos to Katsina (Trans-Saharan Optic fibre network) to move much of the bandwidth from the shore to the hinterland and for distribution to the geopolitical zones. The Senate insisted that despite the almost general consensus concerning the harmlessness of 5G to human health, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Federal Ministry of Environment, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) among others, should locally conduct a scientifIc experimental study over a period of about 6 months to ascertain if a correlation exists between 5G networks and public health. Concerning the interaction between COVID-19 and 5G network technologies, the Senate observed that there is no connection between them, maintaining that, “the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is caused by a biological agent a virus which is scientifIcally unconnected with the 5G technology.”

In rural areas of Nigeria, geographic location and lack of sanitary facilities make it difficult to purchase medicines. That is why a Nigerian company designed the Gricd Frij, a cooler for storing and transporting fragile medicines and blood samples. The cooler has a connected system that enables real-time transmission of data, such as location and temperature. The peculiarity of the Gricd Frij is that it works with solar energy, which ensures the preservation of medicines even in areas with difficult access to electricity.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and his wife, Hajiya Aisha, on Saturday, received their second jabs of Astrazeneca vaccine of COVID-19.
Speaking after receiving the jab, Mohammed appreciated the state's development partners, the health workers as well as the religious and traditional leaders for the success of the vaccination exercise
According to him, through the collaborative efforts, the state had achieved 97.9 per cent coverage of the vaccination.
The governor called for synergy between the federal and state governments to procure more vaccines for the total coverage of the citizenry.
The governor appealed to some religious faithful, who allegedly refused to participate in the vaccination against COVID-19, to embrace the exercise.
He said that he was surprised to hear that leaders of certain religion refused to present themselves for the vaccination.
"Please, we are not expecting this from them because they are the most enlightened among our population.
"If they are not presenting themselves, the followers will also not present themselves.
"We don't want any exclusion, everyone is very dear to me.
"So, I must make sure that they are well secured and protected," the governor said.
Earlier, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA), remarked that some pregnant women were among those who allegedly refuse to take the vaccine jabs.
Mohammed noted that a large number of Bauchi residents were responding positively to the vaccine.
He explained that the state recorded 97.9 per cent vaccination coverage during the first vaccination exercise.
The chairman added that the state had received 55,000 vaccines from the Federal Government for the second COVID-19 vaccination exercise.
"We have 97.9 per cent coverage and we have about 55,000 doses of vaccines in our hand today.
"However, we are only going to give this vaccination to those that had the first dose.
"If you didn't take the first dose, you are excluded from the second dose," Mohammed said.

WASHINGTON - Covid cases are declining quickly while vaccinations continue to rise slowly but surely in the United States, the former epicenter of the pandemic.
Many experts believe the time will soon be right for the federal government to ease its recommendations on indoor masking across the board, and say doing so could help encourage more vaccine holdouts about the clear benefits of getting their shots.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already says masks aren't needed outdoors for vaccinated people unless it's crowded, nor indoors when inoculated individuals gather in small groups with others who are immunized.
President Joe Biden, who has set a target of vaccinating 70 percent of adults with at least one dose by July 4, told a meeting of state governors on Tuesday that further loosening measures are to "come soon."
Now is definitely not the best time to take off the mask. We must wait until the safety period before taking off the mask.

Americans living abroad are asking Washington to send surplus coronavirus shots to overseas embassies so they can get a vaccine in countries where the pace of inoculations is slow and travelling home is difficult.
Many of the estimated 8 million Americans living abroad argue they should have the same right to a vaccine as US citizens back home. The US vaccination drive covers all of the population and surplus doses are earmarked for donation to India and other nations.
“Vaccines could be provided to US citizens through US embassies and consulates, in particular as many are now re-opening for US citizen services,” said Marylouise Serrato, executive director of the advocacy group American Citizens Abroad.
The group last month wrote to the US Congress and the State Department saying overseas Americans who file taxes and vote should have the same access to vaccines as US residents.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this week the US government is focused on the safety of Americans around the world but is not now prepared to provide vaccines.
“We have not historically provided private healthcare for Americans living overseas, so that remains our policy,” Psaki told reporters. “But I don’t have anything to predict in terms of what may be ahead.”
Many Americans overseas are travelling home if they can to be vaccinated or waiting for the inoculation campaign in their countries of residence. But those living in places where vaccine rollouts are slower or where travel is difficult say they feel stuck.
In Thailand, four US citizens’ groups on May 6 wrote to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asking for the Southeast Asian country to be made a pilot project for global vaccination of Americans abroad.
Thailand is in the midst of a deadly third wave of coronavirus, after a year of successfully containment, and its mass vaccination drive doesn’t begin until next month.
‘Just forgotten’
The US State Department last month said it had already shipped doses to embassies and consulates in 220 locations worldwide to vaccinate its own diplomats and other employees.
The diplomatic distribution shows that the US government has the capacity to do the same for citizens, said local chapters of the Democrats Abroad, Republicans Overseas, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Women’s Club in Thailand.
“We are tax-paying, voting US citizens and we were promised that we would be eligible to be vaccinated by our government, and here we are being just forgotten,” said business owner Peter Fischbach, in Thailand for nearly 30 years.
He worries it may be weeks or months before he can get a shot in Thailand. His business obligations – plus Thailand’s strict two-week quarantine for people entering the country – make it unfeasible to return to the US.
The US Embassy in Bangkok declined to comment. There are no official figures on Americans living in Thailand, but Democrats Abroad estimates it as tens of thousands.
Financial tech worker Aaron Kruse, 32, was working in China along with his South African fiancee when the pandemic struck. The couple travelled to Cape Town, South Africa, where travel restrictions and then the South African variant of the virus have now derailed their plans.
“So now we’re very much stuck,” said Kruse, who is from Des Moines, Iowa.
South African’s American expatriate community has not made a formal request, as in Thailand, but even without such a request Kruse says he thinks US embassies should provide vaccines to Americans in need.
But he also supports donating shots to needy countries and is keenly aware that should the US bring in vaccines for its own citizens – this would be criticised.
“I do kind of see it as special treatment,” he said.
“But at the same time, if the US is looking out for US citizens, and we have a surplus of vaccines, then the next place to look for US citizens must be where they live and reside overseas.”

After months and miles of distance, many are getting moments they’ve desperately awaited. Mother’s Day marked the first major holiday with a vaccine. Now, 58% of Americans have gotten at least one shot and over 110 million are fully vaccinated. Across the country as more states loosen restrictions, experts say it hinges on vaccinations.

PORTO, Portugal (AP) — The European Union called on the United States Friday to start boosting its vaccine exports to contain the global COVID-19 crisis, and said that the U.S. backing of patent waivers would provide only a long-term solution at best.
“We invite all those who engage in the debate of a waiver for (Intellectual Property) rights also to join us to commit to be willing to export a large share of what is being produced in that region,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In the wake of the U.S. backing calls to waive patents on vaccine technology, French President Emmanuel Macron summarized the view from Europe when he said at an EU summit in Porto, Portugal: “You can give the intellectual property to laboratories that do not know how to produce it. They won’t produce it tomorrow.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gave the idea endorsed by U.S. President Joe Biden this week a guarded welcome, but he immediately added, “We believe it is insufficient. It should be more ambitious.”
While the U.S. has kept a tight lid on exports of American-made vaccines so it can inoculate its own population first, the EU has become the world’s leading provider, allowing about as many doses to go outside the 27-nation bloc as are kept for its 446 million inhabitants. Many EU nations, however, have demanded a stop to vaccine nationalism and export bans.
Von der Leyen said that any patent waiver “will not bring a single dose of vaccine in the short and medium term.”
Macron said it was more important for Biden to work on exports. “The Anglo-Saxons block many of these ingredients” needed to make vaccines, the French leader said, referring to Washington and London. “Today, 100% of vaccines produced in the United States of America are for the American market.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this week that the EU had distributed about 200 million doses within the bloc while about the same amount had been exported abroad.
“Around 50% of what is being produced in Europe is exported to almost 90 countries,” von der Leyen said, and called on Biden and other vaccine producing regions or nations to step up their effort.
“We are the most generous in the world of developed nations. Europe should be proud of itself,” Macron said.
The EU is trying to regain the diplomatic initiative on vaccines after Biden put it on the back foot with his surprising endorsement of lifting patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines, seeking to solve the problem of getting shots into the arms of people in poorer countries.
EU leaders said they were ready to discuss the U.S. backing for proposals first submitted to the World Trade Organization by India and South Africa, but they said many other initiatives would be more effective at this point, ranging from ramping up production capacity to distributing raw materials. So far, they insisted, the issue of waiving patents is not a big problem.

The shortage of vaccines will cause most people to get vaccinated. In the current pandemic situation, we should make a solution. The government should make reasonable policies to export vaccines to solve the current shortage of vaccines.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the state will enforce occupational safety guidelines in work places.
According to him, safety in work places and the worker would no longer be taken for granted.
The governor stated this in Lagos, during an Occupational Safety and Health Conference organised by the state's Safety Commission in commemoration of this year's 'World Day for Safety,' said, "we will ensure strict enforcement of safety rules and guidelines that are geared towards making the workplace safe and hazard free."
The governor was represented by the state's Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Engr. Tayo Bamgbose-Martins.
He further assured that the state would continue to work tirelessly to make Lagos safe and secure for all residents by developing a virile health and safety system responsive to any emergency.
"With the challenges we have faced in the health sector in the face of this global pandemic, we are now more resolute and committed to develop a health system that is more efficient and responsive in dealing with any epidemic or pandemic that may occur in the future.
"In Lagos, we have put in place strategies and initiatives to ensure the delivery of safety measures ahead of whatever crisis we might be confronted with in any sector of the economy," he said.
In his keynote address, the Director General/CEO, Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), Mr. Lanre Mojola, said the hazards of work-related accidents and illness which are caused by unsafe conditions acts and practices, calls for the need for countries to deliberately put health and safety systems in place to change the narrative.
He pointed that as a responsive government, the state was charged with providing regulations and laws required to ensure that workers can discharge their duties in a safe and conducive manner
He assured that the Commission would continue to spread the message of safety, saying "it is only a safer Lagos that can guarantee the attainment of a greater Lagos."
According to him, the COVID-19 has given rise to numerous unparalleled challenges globally and put to test existing protocols on safety and health in the workplace.
"Governments, organisations and workers have been forced to think outside the box and develop new methods of work to remain productive and adjust to new reality which we call the new normal," he said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun a key step for the eventual resumption of U.S. cruise industry operations by issuing new technical instructions.
In October, the CDC issued Conditional Sailing Order for operators, which acted as a guidance for a phased resumption of cruise ship passenger operations.
On Wednesday, it announced two new phases and said operators now have all necessary requirements needed "to start simulated voyages before resuming restricted passenger voyages and apply for a COVID-19 conditional sailing certificate to begin sailing with restricted passenger voyages."
The CDC said on April 28 it was "committed" to the resumption of cruise industry passenger operations by mid-summer as it issued some clarifications of its earlier order.
The agency also released the COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate application, "the final step before restricted passenger voyages."
The new guidance includes eligibility and requirements for conducting a trial voyage in preparation for restricted passenger voyages and for CDC cruise ships inspections during simulated and restricted passenger voyages.
Once cruise ships operators receive approved COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate applications, they will be permitted to sail with passengers.
The Cruise Lines International Association, which represents Carnival Corp (CCL.N), Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH.N) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL.N), said Wednesday it was reviewing the CDC's latest instructions. The association said last week it was optimistic that CDC "clarifications show positive progression—and, importantly, a demonstrated commitment to constructive dialogue, which is key to restarting cruising."
The group added "plenty of work remains in order to achieve our mutual goal of responsible resumption from U.S. ports this summer."
Florida and Alaska have filed a lawsuit seeking to force the CDC to immediately allow the resumption of cruise operations.
The CDC said COVID-19 vaccines "play a critical role in the safe resumption of passenger operations, but not all cruise ship operators have announced plans to mandate passenger vaccinations."
The agency said it "recommends that all port personnel and travelers (passengers and crew) get a COVID-19 vaccine."

The calamitous COVID-19 outbreak in India is a wake-up call for Africa that its governments and citizens must not let their guard down, the disease-control agency of the African Union (AU) has warned.
African nations generally do not have sufficient numbers of healthcare workers, hospital beds or oxygen supplies – and the continent of 1.3 billion would be even more overwhelmed than India if cases surged in a similar way, said John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
“We are watching with total disbelief … What is happening in India cannot be ignored by our continent,” he told reporters on Thursday.
With 1.35 billion people, India has a similar population size to the African continent, yet Africa has weaker health systems, and unlike India does not manufacture significant quantities of drugs or vaccines, he said.
Nkengasong urged Africans to wear masks and avoid large gatherings, warning: “We cannot and should not find ourselves in [India’s] scenario because of the very fragile nature of our health systems.”
He said all political and religious gatherings and parties should be banned for the time being as they “give the opportunity for the virus to spread.”
The AU will convene a meeting with all African ministers of health on May 8, Nkengasong said, to “put everybody on alert”.
The covid outbreak in India is a lesson for us. We also do not have sufficient medical resources, and can only enhance prevention and reduce crowd exchange and gathering when there is not yet an outbreak.

Two nurse practitioners who worked with Medicare patients in Montana admitted that they conspired to cheat Medicare of millions of dollars through exploiting Medicare’s telemedicine provisions.
Telemedicine is a substitute for an in-person visit with a medical professional and has become more prevalent because of the precautions taken by the medical community during the pandemic.  Medicare now funds telemedicine. Telemedicine allows for communication between a medical provider and a patient through the use of electronic equipment such as a computer or phone.  In other words, the patient and medical provider can speak by audio and video instead of an in-person visit.  The goal of the Medicare program is to allow continued visits between patients and their health care providers through live interactions even though the patient and practitioners are not at the same location. Medicare requires telemedicine visits to be conducted by audio, and in most cases, by video to allow the provider to conduct a face-to-face visit of patients. The Medicare program intends for telemedicine to be a cost-effective alternative to the traditional way of providing medical care through face-to-face consultations or examinations between a provider and a patient.  State Medicaid programs can also choose to cover telemedicine under the Medicaid program. State Medicaid programs can also choose to cover telemedicine under the Medicaid program. The Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the agency that polices the administration of the Medicare program, is on the lookout for an uptick in telehealth fraud.
Two licensed nurse practitioners pled guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.   They and numerous other healthcare providers nationwide were caught in a large-scale health care fraud and opioid initiative undertaken by prosecutors at the United States Department of Justice.   Earlier, on Sept. 30, 2020, prosecutors announced that they had charged over 340 health care providers, including over 100 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical staff, with submitting more than $6 billion in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid programs and private insurance companies.  Over $4.5 billion of that money related to fraudulent activity involving telemedicine.
The two nurses who admitted their guilt were involved in a fraudulent scheme involving braces used in orthotics.    Orthotics is a medical specialty that focuses on the design and application of an externally applied device used to modify the structural and functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and skeletal system.  A brace is a device used to support or treat muscles, joints, or skeletal parts which are weak, ineffective, deformed, or injured.  To prescribe, manufacture and manage orthotic devices requires in-person visits by patients to licensed medical practitioners.
However, for years the nurses traded their medical licenses in exchange for payments from staffing and telemedicine companies and signed orders for braces obtained by unlicensed telemarketers who had no training.  Patients received braces without ever having been seen by a health care provider.
Publicly available documents filed in court showed that these nurses ordered orthotics braces for Medicare patients’ events when the braces were not medically necessary.   The sheer number of braces ordered by these nurses and charged to the Medicare program was astonishing and led to the massive fraud on this important health care program for older Americans.  Combined they used their authority to sign orders for approximately 14,770 braces for which the Medicare program paid over $9,362,000 million dollars.
Healthcare fraud, such as the telemedicine fraud exposed in this case, is frequently brought to light through whistleblowers.  Whistleblowers are often employees who become aware of fraud being committed by their employer or by other employees.  Such people bring their knowledge to the attention of a government or law enforcement agency.  Whistleblower lawsuits are usually brought under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties, known as “relators,” to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery.  Whistleblowers are protected against retaliation under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act.  For demonstrating a commitment to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid, whistleblowers usually receive 15% to 25% of the government’s recovery.
The Department of Justice needs whistleblowers to report healthcare fraud to help protect healthcare programs and patients, and to hold accountable any company that commits fraud, waste, or abuse in the Medicare, Medicaid, and other government programs.

The United States (U.S.) Consul-General, Claire Pierangelo, has described the partnership between U.S. and Nigeria private sector as a great boost to cancer patient care.
The Consul-General stated this, yesterday, when she joined dignitaries, including Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the formal opening of the Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre & Specialist Hospital (MRCC) in Lagos.
Pierangelo said that the establishment of the MRCC facility represents “yet another example of the strong partnership between American and Nigerian private sectors to significantly improve public health outcomes.”
The new healthcare facility, founded by Dr. Modupe Elebute Odunsi, which is equipped with cutting edge American medical diagnostic equipment developed and supplied by GE Healthcare and Varian, is reputed to be Nigeria’s first comprehensive cancer treatment centre.
The consul-general maintained that the U.S. would continue to lead the world in medical research, innovation and technology, as well as providing solutions to tackle the scourge of cancer and bringing happiness to many.
She, therefore, expressed optimism that the new health facility will make cancer treatment available locally and significantly reduce medical tourism for cancer care.
ALSO, in a statement, Temitayo Famutimi of the Public Affairs Section of U.S. Consulate, Lagos, quoting the International Agency for Research on Cancer, said Nigeria recorded nearly 125,000 new cases of cancer in 2020 and about 79,000 cancer-related deaths.
“That means in every hour, 14 Nigerians are diagnosed of cancer and nine die as a result,” he stated.
By IAEA recommendations, Nigeria should have, at a minimum, 150 working medical linear accelerators. However, there are currently only between 3-5 working machines in the country at any given moment,” he stated.

Canadians avoiding COVID-19 restrictions for air travellers fuel taxi boom on U.S. border
U.S. taxi and limousine services are seeing a boom in business from customers seeking to enter Canada by land to avoid COVID-19 restriction on international travel that applies only to air traffic.
While both Canadian land and air travellers are required to take a test within three days of departure, and again on arrival, only those flying to Canada must spend up to three days of the country’s 14-day required quarantine period in a hotel.
That has led to a surge of calls for taxi and limousine services from Canadians who fly through U.S. airports in states like New York and then cross over the land border, representatives of four companies told Reuters.
“They call from six in the morning to 12 at night,” John Arnet, general manager of 716 Limousine in Buffalo, N.Y. said. “We’ve had so many requests for border crossings that we’re turning them down.”
The company now does more business driving Canadians to their homes in Ontario than with U.S. clients.
A taxi trip across the border can cost around $200 or $250 compared with a three-day hotel stay of more than C$1,200 ($961), Canadian travel insurance broker Martin Firestone said.
With the Canada-U.S. land border mostly closed for more than a year due to the pandemic, and overall tourism down, the recent surge in business has come as a relief to some struggling taxi operators.
Nick Boccio, general manager of Buffalo Limousines, said the Canadian clientele has helped the company bring back chauffeurs.
On Friday, Boccio said the company gave nine different rides to Canadian passengers on just one flight from Florida.
Canada has imposed tough restrictions since the start of the pandemic, including a ban on most foreigners from entering the country. Canadians can fly out of the country and return either by land or air.
But concerns are mounting due to a surge in virus variants, with the once temporary hotel quarantine now mandatory for air travelers through late May, and a ban introduced this week on direct flights from India and Pakistan.

ou may want to reconsider any plans to travel abroad.
That’s the recommendation from the U.S. State Department, which updated its Travel Advisories list this week warning Americans against foreign travel to include about 80% of countries worldwide.
Calling the risks the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic poses to travelers as “unprecedented,” the State Department said in an April 19 statement that it “strongly recommends U.S. citizens reconsider all travel abroad.”
The department said its advisories will now better reflect Travel Health Notices issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as taking into account factors such as in-country testing availability and travel restrictions on U.S. citizens.
“We believe the updated framework will help Americans make better-informed decisions about the safety of international travel,” said a State Department official. “We are closely monitoring health and safety conditions across the globe, and will continue to update our destination-specific information for U.S. travelers as conditions evolve.”
As a result of the update, some 8 out of 10 nations around the globe are classified as “Level 4: Do Not Travel.” More than 100 countries were recategorized Level 4, including popular destinations such as Canada, France, Mexico and the U.K.
The nations not downgraded to Level 4 are largely in East Asia, Oceania and parts of Africa and the Caribbean.
While many countries in the updated list of Level 4 destinations have their own restrictions against travel by foreigners, some do allow entry by air with proof of vaccination, a negative Covid test or other criteria. Americans may travel to Britain, for example, as long as they test negative within 72 hours before arrival; they must also fill out documentation and quarantine for 10 days.
Mexico, meanwhile, permits air arrivals and has no testing requirements although you may be screened or temperature checked at the airport.
The country has remained popular with Americans throughout the pandemic, despite testing or proof of recovery requirements upon return to the U.S.
For example, from the end of 2020 and through February, the Mexican state of Quintana Roo — home to resorts like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum — welcomed nearly 1 million Americans.
The State Department’s advisories system is comprised of four color-coded levels: Level 1 (blue) – Exercise Normal Precautions; Level 2 (yellow) – Exercise Increased Caution; Level 3 (orange) – Reconsider Travel; and Level 4 (red). The latter is reserved for countries with a “greater likelihood of life-threatening risks” and U.S. citizens are advised not to travel there or to leave as soon as it’s safe to.
All international destinations had been labeled Level 4 at the start of the pandemic last March, but the State Department lifted that advisory in August. Not one nation listed, however, is currently rated Level 1.
The latest Travel Advisory levels can be found on the State Department website at Travel.state.gov.