Just In:FG To Release Guidelines For Reopening Of Schools

The federal government says it will soon roll out guidelines for the reopening of schools across the country.

Boss Mustapha, chairman of the presidential task force on COVID-19, disclosed this during a briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

I wish to inform Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Education will roll out measures for the self-reopening of schools,” he said.

“The Presidential Task Force wishes to use the occasion of this celebration to congratulate our children and assure them, their parents and all stakeholders alike that all hands are on deck to reopen schools at a safe time.

“We, therefore, use this medium to urge states, local governments, proprietors and all other stakeholders to begin to take steps that will facilitate an early and safe reopening.”

• More to follow…

COVID-19 Has Spread To 16 Out of 20 LGs In Ogun, Says Abiodun

Ogun State Government on Monday said COVID- 19 had spread to 16 out of 20 local government areas of the state .

The Commissioner for Health in the state , Dr Tomi Coker , who disclosed in an interview with our correspondent , said only four local government were free of COVID- 19 in the state as of Monday afternoon .

Coker , who mentioned three out of four councils that were free of the virus , said she did not remember the fourth one . She said could not access her diary where the detailed report of the geography was recorded.

• The commissioner said , “ There are four local government areas that are free of these cases. Both Egbado North and South , Ijebu - Ode , there is one more that I cannot remember now , but , they are four . ”

Just In: FG To Disengage Civil Servants Leaking Official Documents On Social Media

The federal government says it will dismiss civil servants caught leaking official documents on social media.

Folasade Yemi-Esan, head of service of the federation, in a circular issued on Sunday, described the “unfortunate unauthorised disclosure of official documents on social media” as “embarrassing and not acceptable”.

The circular marked HCSF/109/S.1/120 was entitled “unauthorised circulation of official documents/information on social media”.

“The attention of the office of the head of service of the federation has been drawn to the recent unfortunate unauthorised disclosure of official documents on the social media,” Yemi-Esan said.

“In some cases, official documents that have been minuted on are also leaked. This irresponsible and reckless action is an act of serious misconduct with a penalty of dismissal from service as provided for in Public Service Rules Nos. 030401 and 030402.

“The ugly development is embarrassing to the government and therefore not acceptable. Any public officer caught engaging in this act of serious misconduct will be severely dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the public service rules.

“Permanent secretaries are to draw the attention of all their staff to the content of this circular and the consequences of breaking the rules.”

This development may not be unrelated to a query dated May 11, signed by the head of service and issued to Mohammed Bello, permanent secretary of the ministry of science and technology, which was published in the media.

Bello was alleged to have engaged in financial misconduct while he was the permanent secretary of the federal ministry of agriculture and rural development.

The head of service in the query said the allegation could lead to the dismissal of the permanent secretary if he is proved guilty.

Umar’s response to the query dated May 14, in which he denied all the allegations, was also published in the media.

Also, the draft of the April 28 speech of the President Muhammadu Buhari on COVID-19 was leaked on social media platforms minutes before the president’s live broadcast.

The circular by the head of service was addressed to the chief of staff to the president, deputy chief of staff to president, office of the vice-president, all ministers, secretary to the government of the federation, all permanent secretaries and service chiefs including the inspector-general of police, and other government offices.

Why Some Covid-19 Patients Dance In Isolation Centres-NCDC DG

Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says some COVID-19 patients dance in isolation centres because the disease may not weaken some people’s body system as badly as others.

Speaking during a Channels TV programme on Thursday, Ihekweazu said their confinement is not only because of their sickness but to prevent them from spreading the virus.

He, however, added that most of the patients at isolation centres are complying with the guidelines at the centres.

He said: “I think people really need to understand why people are being put in these centres. Normally, you only go into a hospital when you’re ill, get a diagnosis, and then you are sometimes admitted if you’re very ill.

“But in this case, following the experience from other countries, we made a decision as a country to also put people in isolation centres not just because they are ill on their own but in order to stop them from transmitting this virus to others.”

He recalled that some persons being quarantined when he visited China “could exercise and dance because it is not easy to be somewhere, in isolation for three to four weeks when you are not physically ill”.

“So, these are things we have to use to reassess our decisions. It is very difficult to make decisions based on one viral video. One Whatsapp video does not represent the experience of people across the country,” the NCDC DG added.

“It is very important that as leaders we are not pushed down a decision path because one video happened to go viral. Many people in these centres around the country are complying.”

Just-In:22-Year-Old COVID-19 Patient Gives Birth To Twins In Lagos

Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, says its medical team on Tuesday delivered a 22-year-old COVID-19 patient, of a set of twins.

The teaching hospital broke the good news in a statement on its Twitter page.

LUTH@LUTHofficial

LUTH delivers fourth (4th) expectant mother (22 year-old) diagnosed with Covid-19 of twins

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3:12 PM - May 19, 2020

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The hospital said the woman was delivered of the twins through cesarean section with the help of a team comprises doctors, anaesthetists and nurses.

It added that the development brings the number of expectant mothers that has put to bed at the isolation facility to four.

“A team of LUTH doctors, anesthetists and nurses today, Tuesday 19th May, 2020, delivered the fourth expectant mother (22 years old) diagnosed with COVID-19 of a (set of) twins (3.2kg and 3.25kg for girl and boy respectively) through a Cesarean Section,” the statement read.

“The mother and babies are doing well. Once again, we celebrate our committed frontline staff for this achievement.

“We also appreciate the support of the Federal Government, the Lagos State Government, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.”

In April, Newsmen had reported how a 68-year-old woman was successfully delivered of a set of twins — a boy and a girl — at the Lagos-based teaching hospital

Breaking:Buhari Extends Gradual Ease Of Lockdown By Two Weeks

The eased lockdown directive issued by President Muhammadu Buhari has been extended till June 1.

Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation, made the announcement during the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Monday.

According to him, the president took the decision based on the recommendations of the PTF, and the guidelines issued for relaxing the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the federal capital territory (FCT) will be maintained for the next two weeks, after which there will be another review.

He listed six steps approved by Buhari as follows:

“The measures, exemptions, advisories and scope of entities allowed to reopen under phase one of the eased locked down, shall be maintained across the federation for another two weeks effective from 12 00 midnight today (18th May, 2020 to 1st June, 2020).

“Intensifying efforts to “tell (communicate), trace (identify) and treat (manage)’ cases;

“Elevating the level of community ownership of non-pharmaceutical interventions;

“Maintain the existing lockdown order in Kano for an additional two weeks;

“​Imposition of precision lockdown in states, or in metropolitan/high-burden LGAs, that are reporting a rapidly increasing number of cases, when the need arises. This would be complemented with the provision of palliatives and continued re-evaluation of the impact of the interventions; and

“Aggressive scale up of efforts to ensure that communities are informed, engaged and participating in the response with enhanced public awareness in high risk states.”

Just In: Presidential Broadcast Won't Hold Today Again-Femi Adesina

The Presidency has debunked reports that President Muhammadu Buhari would be making a media broadcast today.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in a tweet picked from his verified Tweeter handle stated this Monday afternoon.

He said no presidential broadcast was planned for today, adding that whatever update was available would be passed on by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) during its usual briefings.

“No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today. None was planned. Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps”, the tweet read.

It would be recalled that reports had been out since evening that the President might be making a national broadcast later today.