GOV. WIKE TO IMPOSE HARDER MEASURES TO CURB COVID-19 SPREAD IN RIVERS STATE.

   Gov. Wike

The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, said he would re-impose lockdown beginning from January as the number of coronavirus cases surge in the State.

Gov. Wike gave hint of imminent second phase of lockdown amid rising cases of COVID-19 during the thanksgiving church service in celebration of the 90th birthday of Mrs. Priscilla Nwanediye Mark, at the St. Martin’s Anglican Church, Omagwa in Ikwerre Local Government yesterday.

He lamented as worrisome the refusal of most churches and markets in the State to enforce compulsory wearing of face mask in adherence to COVID-19 protocol.

The governor said the State government had initially relaxed the restriction on the number of persons who worship in churches, but with second wave of COVID-19, he would by this week announce new stringent measures to check the spread of COVID-19 cases in the State.

“When you go to some churches, they don’t wear mask. Go to market, they don’t wear mask. They believe COVID-19 is not real. It’s not real because it has not happened to you; nobody had died whom you know. When somebody has died and the person was close to you, you will know that COVID is real.

“So, it is real and I want to appeal to all of you that we have to be more strict now because the second wave is more dangerous than the first wave. It’s very, very dangerous. I know how many people we have lost since the second wave started”, he stated.

Governor Wike implored the Bishop of Diocese of Ikwerre to prevail on members of all the churches under his jurisdiction to always wear their face mask.

“If you don’t comply, I have no choice, but to shut down the churches; Pentecostal, Catholic,  Anglican. I have no choice, because when you have it, who spends the money? It is the state that treats. So, we need to use the money for some other things, but not for this. Let us discipline ourselves and know that COVID is real. Let nobody tell you that there is nothing like COVID. It’s real”, he appealed.

The governor urged Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Ikwerre Local Government Area to use Mrs. Mark’s 90th birthday to work in unison for the development to the area.

He also used the occasion to extol the chairman of Ikwerre Local Government, Samuel Nwanosike for his commitment to the development of the area.

Governor Wike, however, urged Nwanosike to respect party leaders and ensure that all stakeholders work in unison to move the State forward.

The governor, who was accompanied by the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, announced donation of N50 million to the church.

Delivering a sermon titled “Thanking God for His Mercy” the Bishop, Diocese of Ikwerre, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Right Reverend Blessing Enyindah, stressed the need for people to always acknowledge God’s mercies in their lives.

Bishop Enyindah, who observed that this is an era were people lived below the lifespan of 50 years, said it was the mercy of God that made Mrs. Priscilla Mark  attain 90 years.

He admonished people to inculcate the habit of living a healthy lifestyle and commit their lives unto God  to be able to live up-to 90 years.

NO FEWER THAN 18 NIGERIAN ARMY GENERALS TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

Atleast 18 Nigerian Army generals have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), military sources told Channels Television on Sunday.

The infected military officers were said to have had contact with late Major General Olu Irefin who died from COVID-19 complications last week.

According to the sources, the affected senior army officers were attendees of the 2020 Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja.

Besides, late General Irefin was said to have visited some of his colleagues at home before he attended the conference.

Thereafter, all the officers who attended the conference, their wives, and other members of their families who live with them, have been directed to isolate themselves for a week by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The sources revealed that the affected senior army officers were mostly those who came from outside Abuja and have been tested by officials of the NCDC.

However, others who were in the nation’s capital have yet to take the test for the virus.

Channels Television also learnt that the venue of the aborted conference – the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Asokoro – has been decontaminated by health officials at the weekend

Major General Irefin fell ill at the 2020 Chief of Army Staff Conference last week and was taken to the hospital.

He was later confirmed to be positive for COVID-19 and was receiving treatment before he died.

The late general was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Six Division of the Army in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

GOV. SANWO-OLU OF LAGOS TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

   Gov. Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has tested positive for the deadly COVID-19.

The governor had gone into self-isolation after one of his close aides tested positive for the virus on Thursday.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, in a statement on Saturday, confirmed the development, saying that following Sanwo-Olu’s exposure to a confirmed case of COVID-19, a PCR test performed on Friday, 11th of December, has confirmed that he has indeed been infected with the virus.

Abayomi said Sanwo-Olu is showing mild symptoms, manifested in fatigue typical of a mild case of COVID.

He said the governor is receiving treatment and is being closely monitored at home by the very experienced State COVID-19 clinical team from IDH Yaba.

“Mr. Sanwo-Olu is doing well on treatment and rest and we are confident that he will recover quickly and clear the virus.

“We are seeing slightly increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases in clusters in Lagos and all residents and visitors should strictly adhere to the prescribed advisories of safe distancing, mask-wearing, good hand and respiratory hygiene and avoidance of unnecessary or large gatherings.

“The festive season is likely to create the opportunity for the virus to spread if we are not compliant with the regulations established by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) for inbound travellers and the festive season celebrations.

“All inbound travellers must be COVID-19 negative by PCR before they board a flight to Nigeria and must self-isolate on arrival and undergo a pre-booked test on Day Seven of arrival in Nigeria,” he said.

Abayomi said Lagosians should keep celebrations to a minimum and be observant and responsible in their interactions, stressing that the significant gains achieved to date in containing COVID-19 in Lagos, which has allowed the state to carefully reopen the economy, must not be reversed.

“No one is immune to this virus and it is certainly still circulating in the community.

“Please join me in praying and wishing the Incident Commander of the Lagos State COVID-19 response, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, a speedy recovery so he can return to normal duties as soon as possible.

“I will be keeping the public informed regularly of Mr. Governor’s recovery and wellbeing,” he said.