Thursday 23 April 2020

WHO says Coronavirus Will Be With Us for a Long Time + Other Updates








On Wednesday, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Gbebreyesus, said about 2.5 million cases and over 160,000 deaths related to the coronavirus have been recorded globally, during his opening remarks at a media briefing on COVID-19 in Geneva.

He said that WHO had noticed different trends of the virus spread in different regions, saying most of the epidemics in Western Europe appear to be stable or declining.

He, however, said, “Although numbers are low, we see worrying upward trends in Africa, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe. Most countries are still in the early stages of their epidemics. And some that were affected early in the pandemic are now starting to see a resurgence in cases”.

Tedros Ghebreyesus issued a sober warning. “Make no mistake: we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time”.

He added that “There’s no question that stay-at-home orders and other physical distancing measures have successfully suppressed transmission in many countries”. He, however, said the virus remained “extremely dangerous.”

Speaking about the desire of many to see the lockdown orders lifted, he said, “One of the greatest dangers we face now is complacency. People in countries with stay-at-home orders are understandably frustrated with being confined to their homes for weeks on end.”

Read his full statement here
Face Masks will soon be mandatory in Germany


Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader, smiles while speaking during a news conference at the party’s headquarters in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016. Merkel told senior members of her Christian Democratic Union that she’ll run again as party leader and seek a fourth term as German chancellor, ending months of speculation over her political future. Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Germany has reported more than 150,000 coronavirus infections, according to Johns Hopkins University. The death toll has risen to 5,094, the country’s centre for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute, said on Thursday.

As from next week Monday, wearing of face mask on public transportation and in stores will be mandatory in all states in Germany.

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel has always advocated that people wear masks, and last week, the federal state of Saxony in the east of the country pushed further, making wearing of masks compulsory to curb the spread of coronavirus.

According to CNN, more and more state leaders have implemented the wearing of masks in their states. Bremen became the last federal region to support the initiative and its senate is set to approve the decision on Friday.

Angela Merkel says Germany is still at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, warning the situation will remain very difficult for some time.

In an address to the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, Merkel told lawmakers: “We will be living with this virus for a long time to come”. According to CNN, she vowed to further boost testing for the virus: “Testing, testing, testing is the way forward,” she said. She warned that “We cannot return to daily life like before the virus. Let’s remain clever and careful during the pandemic”.
Lagos State records 74 new coronavirus cases in biggest daily jump

Lagos State on Wednesday recorded 74 new coronavirus cases, this brings the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 504.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the total number of infections in Nigeria has risen to 873, while 197 recoveries and 28 fatalities have been recorded.

As at 11:25 pm 22nd April, breakdown of cases by states: Lagos-504, FCT-119, Kano-73, Ogun-24, Katsina-21, Osun-20, Oyo-17, Edo-17, Kwara-10, Kaduna- 9, Akwa Ibom- 9, Borno- 9, Bauchi- 8, Delta- 6, Gombe- 5, Ekiti- 4, Ondo- 3, Rivers- three, Jigawa- 2, Enugu-2, Niger- 2, Abia- 2, Benue- 1, Anambra- 1, Sokoto- 1 and Adamawa- 1.


China records 10 new COVID-19 cases

According to China’s National Health Commission, the country reported 10 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday. Among the new cases, six were imported from abroad and four were locally-transmitted.

No new COVID-19 related fatalities were reported Wednesday, leaving China’s death toll unchanged at 4,632. China has now officially reported 82,798 cases of the novel coronavirus. Of the total cases, 77,207 have recovered and been discharged from the hospital, according to the health commission.
2 pet cats, 4 more tigers and 3 lions (at Bronx Zoo) test positive for coronavirus

Two pet cats in New York have tested positive for the coronavirus, a discovery that comes after seven tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo were found to have contracted the disease.

As regards the case of the pet cats, the US Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday in a joint statement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that “These are the first pets in the United States to test positive. There is no justification in taking measures against companion animals that may compromise their welfare”.

The two cats were tested after they showed respiratory symptoms, according to the agencies, and they join the ranks of lions and tigers in New York who were infected with the virus.

While in Bronx Zoo, four Tigers and three lions at the Bronx Zoo in New York City have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, the zoo announced Wednesday afternoon, according to a National Geographic inquiry.

This comes nearly three weeks after one tiger at the zoo was confirmed to have the virus and six other cats were said to be exhibiting symptoms.

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