A week of Covid-19

ALLROUNDERGIST

A week of Covid-19 The Delta variant of coronavirus was the stuff of world news until it became national news. As if COVID-19 had not wrought enough damage on the country, the NCDC has confirmed Nigeria's first case of the dreaded variant. While the country reeled from the virus - and suffered unprecedented economic hardship, some federal agencies were smiling to the bank. FIRS raked in N650 billion in June, the biggest with the biggest draw in the pandemic so far. There has been talk - and more talk - about the presence of "electromagnetic ingredients" in the COVID-19 vaccine. Worried about vaccine hesitancy, the federal government is speaking about it for the first time. Welcome to the weekly newsletter on coronavirus pandemic from Daily Trust. I am Judd-Leonard Okafor, health writer and multimedia journalist. Delta variant makes landfall in Nigeria The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says it has detected a confirmed case of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in the country. The agency in a statement on Thursday night said the variant also known as lineage B.1.617.2 was detected in a traveller who came to Nigeria. It said this followed the routine test required of all international travellers and genomic sequencing at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory, Abuja. The Delta variant is recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a variant of concern, given its increased transmissibility.The variant has been detected in over 90 countries and is expected to spread to more countries. Niger's N1.2b recovery stimulus after a virus Niger State Government said it has budgeted N1.2 billion for the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery Economic Stimulus (NCARES) for the poor and vulnerable. FADAMA Coordinator in the state, Dr Hassan Garba Kontagora, disclosed this in Minna on Wednesday where he said that the NCARES support is free of charge and meant to bring out farmers and others from the impact of the pandemic. June FIRS revenue defies virus The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) generated N650 billion revenue in June 2021, being the highest on a monthly basis since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. The Director, Communications and Liaison Department, FIRS, Abdullahi Ahmad, in a statement Wednesday said the amount was the highest revenue realised in a single month since the advent of COVID-19 pandemic and assumption of office of the current management. Click to subscribe for epaper Portal launches to track COVID-19 spending The Chief Executive of the Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal, has urged Nigerians to seek clarification on how COVID-19 funds were spent in the country. Lawal who made the call on Monday in Abuja during a press briefing for the launch of COVID-19 Fund Africa Tracking Website, said that there were shoddy deals in the distribution of palliatives and contracts awarded to manage the funding of the pandemic. A loud silence on electromagnetics in a vaccine The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says COVID-19 vaccines do not contain electromagnetic ingredients that can cause side effects.The Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said this at a press briefing on Tuesday in reaction to reports on social media that electronic devices recognised people that had received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The unsubstantiated reports claimed that anyone who received the vaccine would become magnetic and have their DNA altered and die from blood clots. He said the typical dose was not large enough to contain a magnet, and that a magnet that could fit in a needle would not be powerful enough to attract anything. Tokyo 2020: Does Japan have Covid under control? With the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics fast approaching, the Japanese authorities have decided to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo. The Olympics begin on 23 July, and the Paralympics starts on 24 August but events in the capital will take place without any spectators. What is the situation with infections in Japan? Tanzania and the virus President Samia Suluhu took over three months ago as leader of Tanzania - from John Magufuli, a prominent coronavirus sceptic who died in March from heart complications, opening up the prospect of a new approach to Covid. So has Tanzania changed after a long period of denial and doubt about coronavirus? Copyright © 2021 Allroundergist, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are a subscriber to Allroundergist newsletter. Our mailing address is online: www.allroundergist.blogspot.com Instagram: @allroundergist Facebook: @allroundergist Twitter:      @allroundergist