Health

Presidential Task Force Flags off Covid-19 Vaccination

By Web News 653

Dr. Cyprian Nyong, of the National Hospital, Abuja, has made history as the first front-line health worker to receive the COVID-19 vaccine today (Friday) in Nigeria, when he took the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccination was flagged off by the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari at the National Hospital Abuja.

In a speech shortly after the inoculation, Dr Nyong who has been at the Isolation Center since March last year expressed regrets the he lost his father to the Covid19 pandemic.

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire

In an address, Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora said Nigeria was on the verge at ensuring that all its citizens received the Covid19 Vaccination.

Dr Mamora noted that in a pandemic situation the ultimate was the use of Vaccine

Dr Mamora thanked all Covid19 partners, Frontline workers, arms of Government, and the media for their support in the fight against Covid19 pandemic.

Other personalities at the event included Speaker, House Reps, Femi Gbajabiamila, members of the Legislative chamber, international partners, religious leaders and traditional rulers

All protocols were put in place to ensure the safety needed in Administering the Covid19 Vaccine.

Okareh/Kutara/Maureen

Sport

NNL Resumption: Remo Stars Tests Players For COVID-19

By Web News 872

Remo Stars Football Club, RSFC, have conducted COVID-19 test for its players and management as the club resumes preparation ahead of the upcoming Nigeria National League, NNL, season.

The test was conducted immediately after the club resumed from the Yuletide break to put the players and officials in good medical state before the commencement of the season.

The Team Manager, Mr Yinka Samuel explained that the test was in compliance to the guidelines set by the Presidential Task Force, PTF, and made mandatory by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to all football teams taking part in the three tiers of the country’s leagues.

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, had approved January 16th as kick-off date for the Nigeria National League.

Olusegun Folarin

Transportation

11 out of 22 Nigerian Airports Open to Flights

By Web News 2779

Since commencement of domestic flight operations in the country on the 8th of July, only 11 airports have been opened to flights out of the 22 airports owned and operated by the Federal Government.

Investigation by our aviation correspondent revealed that as at 19th of this month, Abuja, Lagos, Uyo, Kano and Port Harcourt Airports have resumed activities.

Others are Owerri, Kaduna, Calabar, Maiduguri, Sokoto and Yola airports.

These airports that have been opened are certified to have complied with the provision of post COVID-19 restart guidelines and health protocols in addition to being authorized by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.

Speaking during the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 briefing last week, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika said the ministry had been under a lot of pressure and received questions regarding the opening of some airports.

He explained that airports are opened based on their compliance to the Covid-19 Protocols.

According to him, they are at liberty to open and close airports depending on some many other operational reasons, adding that at any point in time whether there is Covid or not, airports can be closed if some issues were discovered and opened if certain gaps have been addressed.

“This is because once we said they are open, we now went back into those airports to ensure everything is okay and safe to operate, health-wise and operation-wise and some airports are so far apart and security reasons and difficulty in travel. We are lucky that we have an aircraft at our disposal which is meant to be for calibrating our equipment, we use that aircraft to enter into all of these airports to ensure they are safe.”

The Minister said inspections were still ongoing at other airports yet to be reopened, adding that if they meet the requirements of the restart guidelines and health protocols, they would be opened to flights.

Nosa Aituamen