Health

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Iheakwazu has disclosed that the mutant strain of the Coronavirus found in the United Kingdom (U.K) is yet to be discovered in Nigeria. Iheakwazu made the disclosure in Abuja during the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF) briefing, advising Nigerians to stay calm and adhere to the pandemic guidelines. He explained that the NCDC in collaboration with the Africa Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), carrying out sequencing but did not find the UK variant.

President Muhammadu Buhari has yesterday tasked the governors of the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT to personally tackle the fight against the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Buhari also directed the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to engage with the state governors to “Assume full ownership of this stage of the response” against the second wave of the COVID-19 strain.

The Nigerian Senate has concluded plan to engage the Federal Government to brainstorm on how to go about the procurement of the coronavirus vaccine. The plan was finalised during a meeting between the Executive and the legislative to fine-tune possible ways on how the Nigerian government can procure the vaccine for its citizenry. The meeting was presided over by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Zainab Ahmed Minister of Finance and National Planning; Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire; Minister of State for Health, Senn. Dr Olorunimbe Mamora; DG  National Budget and Planning, Ben Akabueze; DG National Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu; and DG National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has re-ordered restrictions on gathering in worship places and has ban carnival of any form for fear of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Kaduna state government has today order closure of all schools across the 23 local governments following the surge in COVID-19 outbreak with effect from Wednesday 16 December 2020 to forestall further spread.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Mohammed, has tested positive for coronavirus. This was made known by an online newspaper, Nigerian Lawyer, at the headquarters of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN) today in Abuja by Justice of the Supreme Court, Ibrahim Saulawa. The report revealed that the CJN was confirmed in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate where he was said to be receiving medication.