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President Donald Trump has vowed the U.S. will achieve “total victory” over the coronavirus, describing himself as a “wartime president”.

He spoke as he revived a Korean War-era measure allowing the U.S. to ramp up production of vital medical supplies.

Two lawmakers meanwhile became the first members of Congress to test positive for the infection.

At a White House news conference, the president was asked by a reporter whether he considered the country to be on a war footing in terms of fighting the virus.

“It’s a war,” he said. “I view it as a, in a sense, a wartime president.”

Trump has been holding daily briefings on the emergency this week after being accused of playing down the outbreak in its early stages.

He said: “We must sacrifice together, because we are all in this together, and we will come through together. It’s the invisible enemy. That’s always the toughest enemy.

“But we are going to defeat the invisible enemy. I think we are going to do it even faster than we thought, and it’ll be a complete victory. It’ll be a total victory.”

Edited: victorfalade/latestnewsupdates

Minister of state in the FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu gave the warning in Abuja said upon the declaration of the strike, the Administration had made entreaties to the doctors but that they still proceeded with the industrial action.

The doctors had gone on strike last week over what they alleged were irregularities in their January and February salaries, but the Minister said the problem was not peculiar to the doctors, adding that some of the doctors were even overpaid.

She said in spite of pleas to allow for time to rectify the system error so that all hands could be on deck to contain the spread of the Coronavirus, the doctors have refused to resume work.

“As a result, an emergency meeting of top management staff was held this afternoon where it was resolved that all necessary measures must be taken to ensure that residents do not suffer as a result of the strike by the resident doctors. In the meantime, the Administration has given the striking doctors 24 hours to resume work after which they should consider themselves as having exited themselves from the FCT Administration”, she declared.

Edited: victorfalade/latestnewsupdates

The Lagos State Commissioner of Health , Prof . Akin Abayomi , says the Italian who brought coronavirus to Nigeria now tests negative .

He said this at a press conference , according to reports.

According to him , the Italian will be tested one more time and will be released if he tests negative again .

Coronavirus was first recorded in Nigeria on February 27 when the Italian businessman , who was on a visit to Lafarge Africa Plc , Ewekoro, Ogun State , was diagnosed with the disease and taken to Lagos State .

The second coronavirus case was a Nigerian , who had contact with the Italian and was isolated in Ogun State . Although he tested positive twice , subsequent tests were negative .

Punch

Edited: victorfalade/latestnewsupdates

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity , Garba Shehu , said in a statement that such calls were nothing but cheap politics .

The Presidency further stated that this was the time for all Nigerians to unite against COVID- 19 , adding that this was not the time to attack the ruling All Progressives Congress .

The statement read in part , “ We also plead with Nigerians not to see this most peculiar of times as one to be politicised or seen as an opportunity to regurgitate grudges against the government or the ruling All Progressives Congress . North , South , East , and West – all Nigerians must unite to fight this plague , irrespective of religious or ideological affiliation .

“ In this regard, populist advocacies such as the one accusing the President of ‘ complacency ’ simply because he has not made a television address by ranking members of our respected parliament are cheap and sensational. These are not the times for populism and cheap politics . ”

According to the Presidency , palliatives including the reduction of petrol pump price from N145 to N125 per litre were in place to cushion the effect of the pandemic .

It also stated that N1 . 1 tn fund had been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria to assist businesses .

The Senate had on Wednesday called on Buhari to address Nigerians on the coronavirus in the country .

It also urged the Federal Government to shut down all international airports except the Lagos and Abuja airports for easier monitoring of the disease .

The lawmakers asked the President to suspend the issuance of visas on arrival at the borders so as to check the spread of the pandemic .

As of Thursday , there are twelve confirmed cases of COVID- 19 in Nigeria .

Punch

Edited: victorfalade/latestnewsupdates

> takes effect from Monday, March 23, 2020

The state’s Ministry of Education in a statement personally signed by the Commissioner of Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, stated that it had become necessary to prevent children and their teachers from getting vulnerable to the pandemic.

“It is important for parents to ensure that their children practise ‘social distancing’ while at home, wash their hands regularly or use hand sanitizers and observe high standards of personal hygiene.

“Children should be encouraged to remain at home.

“The closure is not intended to create panic but to arrest the spread of the disease, which has become a global threat.

“The Incident Command Centre, headed by the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is the Incident Commander, will continue to trace all contacts of the identified cases,” she stated.

The National Youth Service Corps said it had planned ahead of the emergency closure of all camps across the country.

It also said it had posted all corp members to their places of primary assignment .

The South – West Director of the scheme, Attah Emmanuel , who made this disclosure , said the scheme rushed the orientation programme over Coronavirus fears.

He said , “We have planned ahead of this time and we have taken the decision to close all camps in the best interest of the nation and that of our corp members as well as staff .

“ We rushed through some of the orientation programmes .

“ I can confirm to you that all our corp members have been posted to their respective places of primary assignment . ”

He revealed further that the directive from the headquarters was for all camps to be closed across the country .

The three- week compulsory orientation course for corp members was abruptly ended by the Federal Government on Wednesday in a bid to curtail the possible spread of Coronavirus .

NAN

The Abuja Chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors has began an indefinite strike in the midst of the announcement of a new Coronavirus case in Lagos .

According to a statement signed by its president , Roland Aigbovo, the doctors said the decision was taken after deliberation on the threat of Coronavirus , working conditions in hospitals and care of patients .

The striking doctors , who described the decision as a difficult one to take , said the failure of the FCT administration to pay their basic salaries for more than two months contributed in part to the decision .

The ARD president stated that the association had earlier issued warnings and ultimatums to alert authority to the non – payment of their salaries , adding that the authorities ignored the warnings .

According to him , there had been irregularities in salary payment and shortfalls since the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System was introduced by the Federal Captial Territory Authority .

The first human trial to evaluate a candidate vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 has begun in Seattle, US health officials made this known .

“ The open – label trial will enrol 45 healthy adult volunteers ages 18 to 55 years over approximately 6 weeks , ” the US National Institutes of Health said in a statement .

“ The first participant received the investigational vaccine today . ”

AFP

...Lagos explosion not caused by pipeline vandals — NEMA

Scores of people have been injured following an explosion in Abule Ado , Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State .

The explosion threw residents of the area into a state of panic , according to reports .

It was learnt that the impact of the explosion destroyed some buildings .

As of the time of filing this report , the suspected cause of the explosion, the casualty figure and the number of buildings affected could not be ascertained .

A resident , Aliu Jimoh , said two fire service trucks had arrived the scene of the explosion but the fire was yet to be put out , adding that scores of people had been injured .

He said , “ There is a problem in Abule Ado right now , a pipeline has exploded and many buildings have collapsed , including a school . We don ’ t know if people are in the building or not . ”

The Public Relations Officer , Lagos State Emergency Management Authority , Nosa Okunbor , added , “ A team is heading to Abule Ado , trade fair axis for investigation of the alleged pipeline explosion. 9 We are awaiting details and preliminary reports . Please avoid speculations . ”

Lagos explosion not caused by pipeline vandals — NEMA

The National Emergency Management Agency has said the explosion which occurred at Abule Ado , Trade Fair axis of Lagos State was not caused by a disruption of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation oil pipeline .

Acting Coordinator , Lagos Territorial Office , NEMA, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye , made the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos .

Farinloye said contrary to information earlier put out on social media , the explosion which occurred about 9 a . m. was unconnected to pipeline vandalism .

“ From the information given by officials of the Lagos State Fire Service , who are currently on the ground , the implosion is not connected to pipeline but might have occurred in a factory located in the Abule Ado area .

“ Emergency responders are on the ground while others are still on their way to the scene . The situation is under control and we hope to get more information soon to ascertain its cause , ” he said .

NAN
Edited: victorfalade/latestnewsupdates

Senegal ’ s President Macky Sall has announced strict measures aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus , including banning public gatherings , closing schools and cancelling April 4 Independence Day festivities .

“ I have decided , first of all, to ban all public events for 30 days throughout the country, ” Sall said on national television following an emergency meeting .

The president also announced a temporary ban on cruise ships docking in Senegal and the introduction of systematic health controls at all borders .

He also cancelled the official festivities to mark the 60 th anniversary of independence from France and closed all schools and universities for three weeks beginning Monday .

The ban on gatherings will hit a series of Muslim festivals due in March . Calls have grown recently to ban such events which can attract hundreds of thousands of Muslim faithful .

Senegal is nation of some 16 million people where over 90 percent are Muslim.

With 21 known infections , Senegal has the second – highest number of coronavirus cases in sub – Saharan Africa .

AFP