DALLAS — More than 150 employees at a Houston hospital system who refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine have been fired or resigned after a judge dismissed an employee lawsuit over the vaccine requirement.
A spokesperson for Houston Methodist Hospital system said 153 employees either resigned in the two-week suspension period or were terminated on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, a federal judge threw out the lawsuit filed by 117 employees over the requirement.
The case over how far health care institutions can go to protect patients and others against the coronavirus has been closely watched. It's is believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S. But it won't be the end of the debate.
In the June 12 ruling, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes of Houston deemed lead plaintiff Jennifer Bridges' contention that the vaccines are "experimental and dangerous" to be false and otherwise irrelevant. He also found that her likening the vaccination requirement to the Nazis' forced medical experimentation on concentration camp captives during the Holocaust to be "reprehensible."
The judge said that if employees of the hospital system didn't like the requirement, they could go work elsewhere.
The hospital workers who filed the lawsuit have already appealed the judge's dismissal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The hospital system had required employees to complete their immunization by June 7. After that, 178 employees were suspended for two weeks without pay for not complying.

Worried by the challenge of overcrowding in Nigeria’s teaching hospitals, with an average of 20,000 Nigerians traveling to India each year for medical assistance due to absence of solid healthcare in the country, experts are set to launch mobile modular healthcare facility.
The modular facilities created by Alpha Mead Healthcare Management Services is aimed at de-cluttering existing care facilities, improving infrastructure and enabling access to quality healthcare in the nation.
The group Managing Director, Alpha Mead Group, Femi Akintunde, stated that though there are numerous challenges in the healthcare sector, they are not insurmountable as renewed creation, cooperation between public and private sector, infrastructure and others are effective solutions.
Speaking at the event ahead of the launch of Modular Healthcare Facility in Lagos, Akintunde noted that a report by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) profiled Nigeria as shouldering up to 10 per cent of the global disease burden; saying the situation was caused by lack of access to professional health workers and healthcare facilities, particularly in rural areas.

More than 100 people at the US Embassy in Kabul have Covid-19, one person has died, and several have been medically evacuated as a wave of the deadly pandemic hits Afghanistan and the US military withdrawal from the country continues.
The surge in cases has prompted a lockdown at the diplomatic mission and the creation of "temporary, on-compound COVID-19 wards to care for oxygen-dependent patients" because "military hospital ICU resources are at full capacity," according to an Embassy management notice dated June 17.
"95% of our cases are individuals who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated," it noted. Eric Rubin, the President of the American Foreign Service Association, said his understanding was that the outbreak at the embassy was primarily among American embassy employees and contractors.
Amid the outbreak, all personnel at the embassy's compound "are confined to quarters, except to get food from the DFACs," a military term for dining facilities, "or to exercise or relax outdoors, alone," the notice said, outlining a series of restrictions on activities and work.
The notice called for those coming to the embassy to be vaccinated before arrival, noting that "failure to do this puts everyone in the community at risk."
"Please avail yourselves of the vaccines available in the Embassy. Over 90% of our Afghan and TCN (Third Country National) Staff have received vaccines and we have more vaccine available," it said.
Rubin echoed the call for those at the embassy to be vaccinated, and told CNN that AFSA would press for the federal government" to require all US employees, US government employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment overseas unless they have professional medical advice to the contrary" or a religious exemption or a disability.
"It's unacceptable to have our posts in key countries on lockdown when the means of preventing that are available," he said.
"This is a critical moment in Afghanistan with our transitioning down from our military presence, and to have our embassy in lockdown with all of our people confined to their quarters is a very significant threat to our national interest and national security for no good reason," Rubin added.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the country is at "a crisis point as infections and deaths are spiralling out of control." Infection rates are up approximately 2400% this month, the organization said in a statement Thursday.
"We are saddened by the deaths of many valiant Afghans who have been sickened by this pandemic and we in fact grieve the passing of a local embassy staff member," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a briefing Thursday. "We do expect that normal embassy operations will resume once embassy, leadership is confident that chain of transmission has been broken."
The embassy notice stated that "restrictions will continue until the chain of transmission is broken," warning that "failure to abide by the Mission's COVID policies will result in consequences up to and including removal from Post on the next available flight."
The outbreak comes as the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan is "more than 50% complete," according to US Central Command.
The embassy publicly announced last week it was suspending all visa operations in response to the Covid-19 outbreak in the country. That move has prompted even greater concern among lawmakers and advocates for the fate of the Afghans who helped the United States during its nearly two decade military campaign on the ground, as it presents another obstacle in the special immigrant visa application process.
Principal Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter said last Friday that applications at the Chief of Mission stage would continue to be processed in Washington, DC.
In response to the suspension of visa operations, Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called on the administration to look into the possibility of humanitarian parole, which "is used to bring someone who is otherwise inadmissible into the United States for a temporary period of time due to an emergency," according to US Citizen and Immigration Services.

MACBAN denies demanding reversal of open grazing ban in Delta
Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, lamented Nigeria’s high ranking in maternal and infant mortality globally.
Okowa, who spoke during the commissioning of the State Specialist Hospital in Asaba, expressed concern over Federal Government’s failure to release funds to the National Health Act to operationalise basic healthcare across the country.
He said: “We need to spare ourselves the poor image when it comes to maternal and infant mortality below the age of five. This project is dear to us as a people and that is why only one hospital in Lagos can boast of a better sickle cell centre.”

He noted that the 220-bed capacity hospital is under a private public partnership (PPP) to ensure smooth running of the health centre.
While commissioning the hospital, Adamawa State Governor, Umaru Fintiri, advocated devolution of powers to ensure meaningful development in the states.
He commended Okowa for his leadership, adding that the specialist centre would further change the narrative of health service delivery in the state.
“The agitations are increasing but they are not insurmountable. There is much power at the center that should be devolved to ensure productivity. When you move power, resources should also be moved to the states,” he said.
MEANWHILE, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) had denied issuing a statement to reverse the Delta State government ban on open grazing.
Secretary-General of MACBAN, Usman Baba-Ngelzarma, who refuted the statement yesterday in Damaturu, said: “We have never issued a statement on 72-hour ultimatum to the Delta State government to reverse the ban on open grazing.”
He said the statement from ‘faceless individuals’ was meant to create mischief between Delta State and herders across the country.

Nigeria’s oil dispute has ‘wasted two decades’; with the green transition, is that wealth lost forever?

For decades, oil investment into Nigeria has been stymied by regulatory uncertainty, with successive governments failing to pass the 'Petroleum Industry Bill' or PIB. Now, as oil majors worldwide see the green transition coming, they are transitioning out of high-cost environments like Nigeria. The risk is Nigeria has missed out on the swan song of the oil industry.
On Monday, Nigeria’s Senate President Ahmad Lawan said “our expectation is that we’ll pass the PIB within this month of June.”
“I’m sure that at the end of the day, the National Assembly will give this country the kind of legal framework to regulate the oil industry… Companies will be able to attract more funds to this sector, because it’s going to be very profitable,” Lawan said at the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) in Abuja.

An official said it was now compulsory for anyone who wants to establish a school to have a Teacher's Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Certificate, among other requirements.
The Osun government says it has shut more than 600 nursery and primary schools operating without minimum standard requirements in the state.
The Commissioner for Education, Folorunsho Bamisayemi, said this during an inter-ministerial news conference organised by the Ministry of Information and Civic Orientation on Wednesday in Osogbo.
Mr Bamisayemi said the closure of the schools was part of the state government's effort to sanitise the sector.
"We have declared a war on mushroom schools," he said. "We have zero tolerance for quacks in the system and schools that do not meet the required standard."
"We know the danger of mushroom schools, because once the education foundation of a child is destroyed, it becomes difficult to build a solid structure on it."
Mr Bamisayemi said that it was now compulsory for anyone that wanted to establish a school to have a Teacher's Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Certificate, among other requirements.
Also speaking, Olalekan Badmus, the Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, said "the government was feeding more than 30,000 vulnerable persons on a monthly basis under its food support scheme".
Mr Badmus said the state government was spending more than N100 million on the food support scheme every month.
"The vulnerable in the society are also a major concern for the governor, and that was how the issue of Osun Food Support Scheme came to be, with 30,000 people benefitting from the scheme monthly.
"We have successfully implemented the scheme over three months, and we have done rice component and semovita.
"We are also looking at the possibility of having a 'combo' package that will break the monotony of one food component.
"We have ensured the credibility of the scheme through reliance on the World Bank verified social register to identify the vulnerable.
"We have also ensured feedback mechanism to monitor the effectiveness of this scheme," Mr Badmus said.

Experts laments discrimination in distribution, administration of Covid-19 vaccines
Health Experts have lamented cases of discrimination observed in the distribution and administration of Covid-19 vaccines in Nigeria.
The experts, who spoke in Abuja during a media roundtable discussion also, questioned the low level of awareness about the vaccine for Nigerians living in rural areas.
According to them, out of over 1.3 billion COVID-19 vaccines that have been administered worldwide, 83 percent of it have gone to a handful of wealthy nations, maintaining that low-income countries, especially Africa nations have received a mere 0.3 percent.
Speaking, Country Program Director of Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF), Dr. Echey Ijezie disclosed that his organisation has initiated the Vaccinate Our World’ (VOW) campaign to create awareness and ensure that there is equity and equal access to vaccine between developed countries and developing countries.
“AHF have been shouting and making this statement clearly through the VOW campaign that the gap has to be bridged. We will continue to push to ensure that these demands are met.” He added.
He urged the government to adopt public health Communication strategies to make Nigerians especially rural dwellers to accept the vaccines when available.
“There is a gap that has to be bridged and that gap is between the availability of the vaccine and our own people accepting it which can be done by adopting public health Communication strategies which must be done effectively because if the vaccines are available and people are not coming forward to take it, it’s discouraging”
Ijezie further called on the Nigerian government to urge world leaders, vaccine manufacturers, and public health organizations to protect humanity by providing access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, particularly in lower-income countries.
Also Speaking, General Secretary, Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Martin Adekunle Egbanubi, who noted that the desire of the richest countries to protect themselves leaving vulnerable ones to perish was unacceptable, demanded an increase in the production of vaccine in the global South.
Stating that the major component of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030 was to ensure that citizens are living healthy in other to reduce mortality in all ramifications.
Egbanubi said he has noticed cases of discrimination in the distribution and administration of vaccines in Nigeria as well as a low level of awareness for those in the rural areas.
He advocated for a scenario whereby the Nigerian government will invest heavily in research and development as the country cannot continue to rely on the world’s richest countries in times of emergency.
“We cannot continue to rely on Europe and America to bail us out whenever there is emergency, And we must make sure that the political will is there to drive the process, because if we produce our own vaccine definitely more people will be administered.”
On her part Chairman, Civil Society Accountability Forum, Ms. Ize Adava who said rural dwellers were not accepting the vaccine because those sent to administer the vaccine were not taken, maintained that vaccine inequity must be eliminated.

California continues to record one of the lowest COVID-19 case rates in the country, highlighting the continued progress the state has made in fighting the pandemic in the week before it plans to reopen.
According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Monday, California's seven-day case rate was 11 cases per 100,000 people, tied with Nebraska and the third lowest among all states. California is second only to Vermont with a 7-day case rate of 6.9, compared to South Dakota’s 9.2
The latest update has brought California just over the threshold required by the CDC to define a low level of community coronavirus transmission. This is based on an assessment of the number of newly confirmed cases and the speed of testing in the state last week.

The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta), has said the ongoing Constitution alteration will not entertain ‘debate on unity of Nigeria.’
The lawmaker, who represents Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State, said the House will rather focus on devolution of powers and restructuring.
He stated this at the South-south zonal public hearing on the review of the 1999 constitution in Asaba, Delta State, on Thursday.
There have been increasing agitations by some parts of Nigeria to secede from the country.
In the South-east, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been demanding a referendum on breakaway.
The group, which has been proscribed by the federal government, has already established a militant wing known as the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to further its agitation.
In the South-west, the call for the creation of Oduduwa Country is currently being championed by Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho.
Mr Elumelu said the legislature would not consider any proposal on the unity and corporate existence of the country.
“It is however imperative to state that nothing in this exercise gives room for any question on the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria as one indivisible nation,” the lawmaker said.
“The public hearing and desired amendments, rather than detract from our national cohesiveness, are aimed at consolidating our national unity by ensuring a stronger federal system with greater participation of citizens in governance at all levels.
“I, therefore, urge all stakeholders and participants to come up with progressive submissions and recommendations that will engender stronger national unity and greater productivity.
The minority leader said the public hearing would welcome suggestions on restructuring and devolution of powers and other issues that enhance good governance and development of the country.


He said, “We desire suggestions that will bring clarity to the concept of restructuring as being demanded. What items should be devolved from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List? What is acceptable resource control and revenue sharing prescription with regard to the agitations of sub-national units under a fiscal federalism?
“Are there items that should be under the exclusive control of the state and even local government? What provisions are more appropriate for resource producing communities?
“On elections; what type of decentralised electoral system is desirable in a federal system like ours. Which elections should be under the state and which should be under federal purview? What is the role of the armed forces in our elections?
“Furthermore, what are the practical modalities for state creation, acceptable state policing, civil service system, land use, control and ownership; judiciary jurisdiction, taxation and other subjects of agitation among sub-national units? What statutory recognition can be accorded to the traditional institutions and what appropriate roles can be prescribed for traditional rulers?
“These and many more are serious issues that require concerted consideration.”

The Federal Government has made an offer to increase hazard allowance for all health workers in government health establishments in the country.
Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige said this while briefing newsmen at the end of a meeting between the Presidential Committee on Salaries(PSC), relevant Federal Government Stakeholders and Health Professional Association and Trade Unions on Wednesday in Abuja.
The meeting was called by the instance of the minister to discuss the issue of hazard allowance and retirement age for health sector workers in the government health establishments.
Ngige said that the resolutions reached at the meeting was fruitful.
”The Federal Government has moved up from the N5,000 monthly hazard allowance paid to all health workers in Nigeria and now offering 350 per cent and 600 per cent increments for junior workers and senior workers respectively.
”The government side led by the Minister of State for Budget and Planning gave a counteroffer to the earlier submissions made by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and affiliate associations and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
“The Government side gave them that offer based on the realities that we have on the ground, that the economy is not doing very well and the capital component of the budget is actually being funded on borrowing. The earnings of the government have also drastically gone down.
“So, they are going back to their people with the government offer and they asked for two weeks adjournment to enable them to conclude consultation with their members and report back to us, “he said.
He added that they agreed that the offers should be left as it is until both parties go back for consultations with their members and return in two weeks time for further negotiations.
“But we moved from the N5000 hazard allowance per month, which was long forgotten until COVID-19 struck. During COVID-19, the government spent about N31billion for three months.
”So, I think the government side has offered things that are very reasonable, increasing the former positions of junior and senior health workers. Junior workers had 350 percent rise and senior workers had about 600 percent, ”he said.
Ngige also noted that the Federal Government has agreed in principle to increase the retirement age of doctors and other health workers from 60 to 65 years and 70 years for consultants.

Nigerian Passport renewal: New date you fit begin apply for passport as Nigeria Immigration Service extend suspension

Nigeria Immigration Service don postpone di commencement of new passport application by one week.
Di Comptroller General of di Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, announce June 8, 2021 as di new date for fresh passport application to start.
For statement dem tok say, "huge number of applicants don already turn up to collect dia passports across issuing centres and dis dey cause some form of congestion.
Nigeria Immigration Service bin suspend fresh passport application for May to clear di backlog of passport application wey don already dey ground.
Di statement add say di "situation no go allow di Service to accommodate new applications especially as we dey consider our desire to ensure say pipo wey come to our offices comply wit all di COVID-19 protocols.
Im tok say dem don direct Passport Control Officers to continue to send out short message notifications for collection to all applicants wey don submit functional contact details/numbers for dia applications as dem dey intensify effort to clear up di remaining applications for some Centres."
Wetin di new Passport regime be?
Di Immigration service announce say for di new passport regime wey go now start on 8 June, applicants go begin:
Visit http://immigration.gov.ng to apply, pay and upload all di required documents for Passports
Book interview/appointment after dem don successfully do di online application
Nigeria Immigration Service no go attend to any applicant wey no book online appointment
Nobody must make cash payment for any Issuing Centre
Passport application processing and issuance go take a period of Six weeks afta successful enrolment, dem mention say, if anything change dem go communicate to di applicant, one week before collection date.
Any request for reissue can be submitted Six Months before expiration.
Nigeria Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola say im believe say wit dis new changes, Nigeria Immigration go "arrive at a new dawn."

WASHINGTON - It is the unofficial start of summer in the United States: Mask mandates are gone and mimosa brunches, backyard barbecues, and summer camp are back.
As at Saturday (May 29), more than 130 million Americans - 40.5 per cent of the population - have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. New cases of coronavirus infection have, on average, dipped below 25,000 a day. Daily deaths due to the disease have fallen well below 1,000.
Yet many analysts and epidemiologists are keeping their fingers crossed.
Pockets of resistance to vaccination still remain and might slow down the inoculation rate. Gatherings this long Memorial Day weekend might spark new outbreaks.
Right after Memorial Day last year, huge surges of Covid-19 infections were observed in Arizona, Texas and across the Deep South, Dr Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told MSNBC last Friday.
"That's where I am worried: We will see a smaller surge this time around. I think for the rest of the country, we're probably going to be in pretty good shape," said Dr Jha.
Vaccine scientist Peter Hotez wrote on Twitter: "Nationally, we're only at 50 per cent single-dose vaccination, 40 per cent fully vaccinated; about 10 points higher in both categories in the north-east but far lower in the underperforming south. The south is highly vulnerable this summer to a surge."
Fewer people are getting vaccinated in the southern states, with Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama registering half the vaccination rate of Vermont or Massachusetts in the north, he noted.
Dr Thomas Hale, associate professor in global public policy at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government, told The Straits Times: "The United States - and I would put Israel in the same category - (has) basically taken the approach (that) we're getting to a critical mass of vaccines, so we can afford to drop all other protections.
"Those two countries are probably unique in that stance. My view is… that's a very bold approach, a little bit lacking in caution."
The Blavatnik School of Government maintains the world's largest database on government responses to the pandemic.
Dr Hale continued: "It's assuming that we won't see significant variants emerge that can defeat vaccines. And that's assuming that the rates of vaccination will continue up to the point where all of the people who are likely to get it are going to develop vaccine-based immunity."
He added: "And I don't know that the United States is in a great position to think about that because there is a significant degree of vaccine hesitancy in the US population, people who for political or cultural or other reasons just don't want to get the vaccine.
"And that's a huge weakness, I think, in this strategy. Imagine that you get to a point where 30 per cent of the population doesn't want to have the vaccine. That's a lot of people who can still die of Covid-19.
"There's a very large pool of vulnerable people. And I worry that in the fall or so, the limits of that strategy might become apparent, even if they're less apparent right now."
Washington, DC presents an example of racial disparities. A report from the Department of Health last week found that Black residents have made up 80 per cent of new Covid-19 cases in the capital in recent days. White people account for less than 10 per cent.

The award, given by UTM Offshore Limited, is set to support the development of Nigeria’s first ever Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility.
With 40 years of experience within the LNG sector, KBR will be responsible for a multi-disciplined due diligence review of the Pre-Front End Engineering Design, being completed by Japanese engineering company, JGC.
Jay Ibrahim, KBR President of Sustainable Technology Solutions, said, “We’re excited by the opportunity to support UTM Offshore and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to drive Nigeria’s wider energy ambitions.”
The FLNG facility is projected to produce 1.2m tonnes of FLNG per year and will be developed in collaboration with LNG Investment Management Services.
LNG is seen as key in the drive towards a lower carbon future, supporting UTM Offshore’s vision to contribute to decarbonisation in Nigeria.

This study provides critical insights into the US COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics market, including developing vaccines, supply chain considerations, and requirements to manage distribution. The study also identifies actionable and profitable growth opportunities for industry participants.
The US response to the pandemic has been disorganized and made worse with the politicization of vaccine approval and distribution, creating distrust and delaying the country's vaccination program. Each state in the US has its own vaccination strategy and as such, state health department websites are critical sources of information on when, where, and how to get vaccines.
As of 31 March 2021, the US Food & Drug Administration granted Emergency Use Authorization to three vaccines manufactured respectively by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Novavax and AstraZeneca vaccines are two other leading vaccine candidates expected to be approved for use in Q2 2021. Apart from vaccines, drugs are likely to play a critical role in treating individuals not responding to vaccines, not receiving vaccines, and who still contracted the virus despite vaccination.
Maintaining vaccine integrity through all stages of the supply chain requires never-before-seen levels of monitoring and coordination among stakeholders. Partnerships between input supply firms and distributors are as critical as collaborations between vaccine sponsors and contract manufacturers to scale up production for mass immunization.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials’ new, more relaxed recommendations on masks have all but eclipsed another major change in guidance from the government: Fully vaccinated Americans can largely skip getting tested for the coronavirus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that most people who have received the full course of shots and have no COVID-19 symptoms don't need to be screened for the virus, even if exposed to someone infected.
The change represents a new phase in the epidemic after nearly a year in which testing was the primary weapon against the virus. Vaccines are now central to the response and have driven down hospitalizations and deaths dramatically.
Experts say the CDC guidance reflects a new reality in which nearly half of Americans have received at least one shot and close to 40% are fully vaccinated.
“At this point we really should be asking ourselves whether the benefits of testing outweigh the costs — which are lots of disruptions, lots of confusion and very little clinical or public health benefit,” said Dr. A. David Paltiel of Yale’s School of Public Health, who championed widespread testing at colleges last year.
While vaccinated people can still catch the virus, they face little risk of serious illness from it. And positive test results can lead to what many experts now say are unnecessary worry and interruptions at work, home and school, such as quarantines and shutdowns.
Other health specialists say the CDC’s abrupt changes on the need for masks and testing have sent the message that COVID-19 is no longer a major threat, even as the U.S. reports daily case counts of nearly 30,000.
“The average Joe Public is interpreting what the CDC is saying as ‘This is done. It’s over,'” said Dr. Michael Mina of Harvard University, a leading advocate of widespread, rapid testing.
With more than 60% of Americans not fully vaccinated, he thinks screening of those without symptoms still has a role, particularly among front-line workers who have to deal with the public.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the updated guidelines are based on studies showing the robust effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing disease in various age groups and settings. Even when vaccinated people do contract COVID-19, their infections tend to be milder, shorter and less likely to spread to others.
As a result, the CDC says vaccinated people can generally be excluded from routine workplace screening for COVID-19.
That change could eliminate testing headaches like the one recently reported by the New York Yankees, when one player and several staffers tested positive on a highly sensitive COVID-19 test, despite being vaccinated.
Baseball officials are discussing whether to drop or reduce testing of people who have no symptoms.
But widespread attempts to waive testing for vaccinated people could face the same dilemma seen with the CDC's new guidelines on masks: There’s no easy way to determine who has been vaccinated and who hasn’t.
Employers can legally require vaccinations for most workers, though few have tested that power, since the vaccines don’t yet have full regulatory approval. Even asking employees to disclose their vaccination status is viewed as intrusive by many employment-law specialists.

Global Society for Anti-Corruption (GSAC), yesterday, said that no fewer than 500 Nigerians are languishing in various prisons in Togo and urged the Federal Government to intervene.

The group, which commended the newly-posted Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Adebowale Adesina, for the interest he had shown on the plight of the prisoners, promised to co-operate with him to enable him succeed in his new assignment.

GSAC’s President, Mr. Frankline Ezeona, while briefing reporters in Enugu, following a fact-finding visit the group made to Togolese prisons, stated that a good number of the prisoners had spent between nine to 10 years awaiting trial.

He said that the prisoners’ situation had been compounded by the fact that they no longer have access to certain relief materials due to the ravaging COVID-19 disease.

Ezeona stated that most of those concerned were sent to prison out of ignorance, adding that many others were victims of cybercrime.

“We discovered that many of them got into businesses like network marketing and didn’t know they were banned in that country. Some of them are genuine businessmen and women. None was discovered to have committed any capital offence.

“So, we think that the Nigerian government should intervene in the matter. Let some of them be released or extradited to face their prison terms in Nigeria.

“We are asking the Nigerian government to see how some of them can be released and granted amnesty based on stipulated law – on age, pregnancy, health and what have you,” he said.

Besides, the group’s legal team, led by Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, stated that they intervened following several distress messages the organisation received from Nigerian prisoners in Togo.

She said that of the 13 prisons in Togo, the one in Lome alone houses 300 Nigerian prisoners, adding that their situation was pitiable as they were lumped in already congested facilities.

“There are those that have spent nine years in prison for misdemeanour. We wanted to look at their files but were not allowed to do so. The legal system operation in Togo is different from that of Nigeria. There, when one is accused of crime, he is being taken as guilty until proven otherwise. Anyone arrested is treated as convict. It is the system of Togo and its citizens know it is working for them. The administrative system is centralised,” she said.

Narrating the ordeal of one Jerry Odiesa, a Nigerian from Delta State, whom she said had served 11 of his 20 years conviction over cyber-related crime, Udegbunam said that what took Odiesa to prison was ignorance.

Lagos State government has adopted measures to ensure voluntary compliance with the State Urban, Regional Planning and Development laws.
Commissioner, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, disclosed this while responding to questions from newsmen at 2021 Ministerial Press Briefing in commemoration of two-year in office of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He said one of the adopted measures was constant stakeholders’ engagement on the need to comply without the necessary development laws.
This, he said, has yielded enormous results by reducing the cases in courts during the time under review as well as increasing the number of compliance in the state.
The commissioner also said the measure was also the reason 29 collapse incidences were recorded out of identified 1, 121 distressed and dilapidated structures of which 231 were demolished.
He noted that developers are now pulling down defective buildings on their own to avoid forfeiting same to the government.
Expressing seriousness in the building laws, Idris said, about 293 enforcement operations were carried out across the state by the Special Operations Unit from the governor’s office.
He also said 2, 176 petitions were received, 432 cases were either resolved and referred to relevant Ministry, Departments And Agencies (MDAs), while 610 contravention notices were served in various parts of the State and 32, 522 properties were served statutory notices.
The commissioner further said, the Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has extended development plans to 30 communities, spread across different Council areas in the state.
The communities that have had their Local/ Action Plans so prepared are: Lafiaji Action Area Plan (2021-2031) in Eko District, Abule Oja Action Area Plan (2021-2031), Ajiwe Action Area Plan (2021-2031), Review of Maiyegun and Action Area Plan of an Extension to Aparakaja Casia/Abiodun Dada.
The ministry, he said, also undertook the review of Ojodu core action area plan and prepared Ilo Awela Community action area plan, Igbogbo core action area plan and Ologunebi Excised Village action area plan as well as Shasha Oguntade action area plan and Ladipo Osoro action area plan and others.
Salako noted that the State would derive maximum benefits from the preparation of the action area plans, including the effective control and proper development guide within its jurisdiction, functional land use pattern and arrangements, good road networks while urban regeneration of the slum environment would be achieved.
Other benefits are the provision of enabling environment for category of land uses, such as industrial, commercial, institutional and residential as well as investments in a sustainable manner.
The commissioner further explained that the development plans would bring about the provision of quality infrastructural developments within the planned area and guarantee a sustainable physical environment during the stipulated planning period.

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the World Hypertension Day (WHD) today, May 17, medical experts have warned that no fewer than 76.2 million Nigerians are hypertensive. Executive Director, Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF), Dr. Kingsley Kola Akinroye, yesterday, told The Guardian that the prevalence of hypertension is about 38.1 per cent (76.2 million out of an average population of 200 million people).
Akinroye, who is also a consultant cardiologist, said, in Nigeria, almost one in three adults (33.3 per cent) has hypertension, while only one third of this figure (about 23 million) are on treatment.
He said a survey by the Foundation showed the awareness of hypertension is more in the urban than rural cities and more amongst women than men. “Since the onset of COVID-19 in Nigeria, we have evidence that more people with heart disease have been affected or died from the pandemic than any other illness. Also, we are aware that the cost of treatment with anti-hypertensive drugs has gone up since the onset of COVID-19,” Akinroye said.
He noted that the ideal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg but, in Nigeria, normal blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg. “Any figure higher than 140 mmHg for systolic blood pressure or 90 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure is regarded as hypertension.”
NHF is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation founded in 1992 to promote heart health, scientific research in cardiovascular health, healthy lifestyles and advocacy on heart issues. According to the NHF, heart disease is the leading cause of death globally and in Nigeria. Among the heart diseases in Nigeria, hypertension is the commonest in the adult population while others are heart attacks (coronary heart disease), heart muscle disease, and rheumatic heart disease in children.
ALSO, the Nigerian Hypertension Society (NHS) has decried the high rate of persons suffering from hypertension in the country, warning against the consequences of the development on the nation’s economy if left uncontrolled.
According to the President of NHS, Prof. Ayodele Omotosho, and Secretary of the body, Kolawole Wahab, in a joint statement yesterday, said hypertension, also known as High Blood Pressure (HPB), remains “the number one cause of preventable death worldwide.”
The statement described hypertension as a condition in which there is sustained elevation of blood pressure above a threshold of 140 mmHg systolic and 90 mmHg diastolic in adults.
It said: “Unfortunately, hypertension only announces its presence in most people after development of complications like stroke, heart failure, heart attack or kidney failure. The social and economic tolls of these complications on immediate families and the nation at large are enormous.
“The observance of the day is a call to the need to increase hypertension awareness, accurately measure blood pressure, detect and control hypertension to prevent premature death. The proportion of Nigerians with hypertension is high, while awareness, treatment, and control rates are low despite the availability of potent drugs.”
The statement added that in a screening conducted by the NHS in 2018, hypertension was present in one-third of the population with only half of these aware of being hypertensive, while only 18 per cent of all hypertensive patients had their blood pressure controlled.
THIS year’s WHD theme is “Measure Your Blood Pressure, Control It, Live Longer.” The World Hypertension League (WHL) has chosen this theme based on current statistics showing uncomfortably low awareness and poor control of HBP.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), globally, more than one billion people are known to have hypertension and the figure is estimated to increase to 1.5 billion by 2025.
A nation-wide survey in Nigeria published about two decades ago by Prof. Olujimi Oladapo Akinkugbe of Ibadan Hypertension Clinic and his team of researchers showed awareness level for hypertension at 30 per cent and recent publications have not shown any significant improvement. This low level of awareness has given it the name: “The Silent Killer”.
The WHD recommends that all countries use this opportunity to create community awareness through hypertension screening outreach programmes, which are going on in many centres in Nigeria and across the world today. Relevant governmental agencies in the health sector are also advised to ensure adequate prevention of avoidable deaths and morbidity in the country.
On the impact of COVID-19 on hypertension and related diseases, Chairman of the NHF Hypertension Committee, Prof. Basden J. C. Onwubere, said: “COVID-19 for more than one year has ravaged the entire world, inflicting various stages of illnesses on many populations. Hypertension and its cardiovascular complications are described as primary co-morbidities (additional health burden in an individual already battling with a health issue).
“In available recent studies, hypertension has been noted to be more prevalent in COVID-19 infected individuals, especially those with severe forms of the infection. There are ongoing studies on the possible effects of some of the drugs used for hypertension treatment.
“The worldwide lockdown of social and economic activities during this era significantly affected the control of HBP particularly in countries such as Nigeria where the control levels were abysmally low in the pre-COVID-19 period. This economic effect of the pandemic is of great concern.”
On what causes hypertension, President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Innocent Ujah, said: “The causes are not fully known in most cases and it’s called primary/essential hypertension in about 10 per cent of the cases where the condition is known; it is called secondary hypertension (kidney, blood vessels and hormonal disorders are known causes).”
Ujah, who is also a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, said essential hypertension is associated with two broad risk factors. Modifiable or preventable factors are: high intake of salt, overweight, sedentary lifestyles, physical inactivity, diabetes mellitus; tobacco smoking, alcohol intake, and stress.
Ujah listed unmodifiable or non-preventable factors to include: family history (hereditary), inheritance from parents, age, sex, and black race, adding: “The reality is that HBP is a common disease and a silent killer. Unfortunately most people are not aware. People should do BP check-up regularly.
“Poverty is a very big problem as well as anxiety. They fuel hypertension. So being poor is a big risk factor. For the rich, the problem is their uncontrolled enjoyment. You don’t control eating and drinking. There are several other causes of hypertension like eclampsia and preeclampsia in pregnant women, which are the commonest killers of women in childbirth. Eclampsia can be controlled but not preeclampsia.”
To address the situation, Ujah advised that government should better equip and staff Primary Health Care (PHC) centres with nurses and doctors to monitor BP regularly and give health education. “BP is not a death sentence but can be controlled with regular check up, lifestyle changes and medication,” he said.
TO reduce the negative consequences of hypertension, the Nigerian Hypertension Society advises thus: Everybody should check his/her blood pressure regularly; those with hypertension should consult their medical practitioners for proper advice and, if hypertensive, take their medications regularly to achieve a good blood pressure control and thus prevent complications like stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure, which can shorten lifespan.
While encouraging Nigerians to engage in physical exercises for a minimum duration of 30 minutes on a daily basis or on at least three non-consecutive days per week, the society said it would do a mass screening for undetected or undertreated hypertension in each state of the federation from May to November 2021.


Hypertension is also a disease. We should be vigilant against all diseases.

The U.S. Senate passed a bill Thursday that could allow cruise ships to return to Alaska ports this summer.
The bill temporarily lifts the requirement that foreign cruise ships – nearly the entire fleet – stop in Canada on their way to and from Alaska.
The bill passed by unanimous consent. It heads next to the U.S. House.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski said if all goes well, the cruise lines could return to Alaska in mid- or late July.  
 “We have to hope that they still view this as an opportunity and that people still want to come and travel to Alaska for the latter half of that season,” she said.
The Alaska delegation is still working on the Centers for Disease Control to amend its pandemic restrictions on cruise ships.
The Senate-passed bill adds a temporary bypass to the Passenger Vessel Services Act. That’s a 19th Century law intended to favor domestic fleets. It says a foreign vessel can’t carry passengers between U.S. ports. Foreign-flagged cruise ships get around it by making a stop in Canada on voyages between Washington state and Alaska. Last year, with the pandemic raging, Canada stopped allowing it.
There’s a lot of work ahead if Alaska is going to salvage part of its cruise season, and it’s not entirely in Washington,D.C.
Murkowski said it will take a major scramble in Alaska port towns to find workers and shop inventory, and for shore excursion providers to gear up.
“There’s been so many moving pieces here that we’ve had to kind of cobble together,” she said. “I’m feeling much better today than I have in weeks about the viability for a semblance of a cruise season this summer.”
Murkowski said she’s optimistic the bill can pass the House. The Alaska delegation has already worked through objections from senators who don’t like protectionist laws like the Passenger Vessel Services Act and from others who wanted to see changes from the cruise industry to protect consumers. Some of that work should allay similar concerns held by House members, she said.

The Nigerian government has declared phase four of restriction of movements across the country with the reintroduction of curfew, among other restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the deadly variants of Covid-19 recorded in some parts of the world.
The government approved the new measures on Monday, according to a statement signed by Mukhtar Mohammed, secretary of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on Covid-19 which is coordinating the national response to the epidemic.
Effective from Tuesday, the government reimposed a 12 midnight to 4 am curfew across the country and revived other restrictions to hinder the spread of the deadly variants of Covid-19 recorded in India and Brazil, Mohammed said.
The closure of event centers and non-essential public places such as nightclubs in the country has been approved, till further notice, he said.
Among other imposed measures, he said that the gathering of religious groups has been reduced to 50 percent attendance, while official engagements, meetings, and conferences should continue to hold virtually.
In addition, he said schools, which are currently in session in the country, have been ordered to continue the use of approved antigen-based rapid diagnostics tests as recommended by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, he said.
"All recreational venues, gyms, and indoor sports facilities are to close until June 11 when the situation will be reviewed. However, non-contact outdoor sports such as golf, polo, and tennis are not affected by these," he explained further.
The security agencies in the country have been tasked to enforce the measures while state governments are to set up a mobile tribunal for the prosecution of violators, the official said.
"The national response continues to focus on achieving a balance between preserving lives while working on long-term epidemic control. This phase four of restriction of movement shall come into effect... We shall maintain restrictions on mass gatherings of sidewalk settings, with a maximum of about 50 people in an enclosed space," he said.
"On April 26, the PSC took a precautionary step by restricting travel from Brazil, India and wherever observed high incidence of cases have a totally different and widespread prevalence for the virus," he added.

Civil rights advocates are calling on a U.S. agency to recognize that caste discrimination is illegal under existing federal law, an issue growing more prominent as tech companies are hit with litigation by South Asian workers alleging bias based on social status.
A dozen groups, including the International Commission on Dalit Rights, pressed the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to acknowledge that the practice of discriminating against historically oppressed South Asian groups is “an urgent contemporary U.S. civil rights and social justice issue,” according to a memo sent to the agency on Monday and obtained by Bloomberg Law.
Caste prejudices parallel race bias in the U.S. because both “are social constructs designed to uphold systems of domination, exclusion, injustice, inequality, and discrimination,” the memo says.
Advocates for the Dalit population, or the lowest caste in the hierarchical social system, say the mistreatment is more prevalent in workplaces with large populations of South Asian employees, such as in the technology sector.
Cisco Systems Inc. last year was sued by a California agency for allegedly discriminating against a Dalit worker because of his caste. That case, brought under state law, remains pending. Apple Inc. is also defending a similar lawsuit, while Microsoft Corp. has said it’s fielded complaints of caste discrimination.
The EEOC enforces federal workplace anti-discrimination laws, including Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits bias based on race, national origin, and other protected statuses.
The groups say those provisions encompass caste discrimination, as well. But very few caste bias allegations have made their way through courts to test whether Title VII or state laws protect against that form of discrimination.
“The EEOC’s recognition of the intertwined nature of caste and race is an urgent and crucial step towards promoting human dignity, and ensuring justice, equality and nondiscrimination in the workplace,” the memo states.
The EEOC doesn’t have a formal “policy position” on how Title VII may apply to caste discrimination, said Joseph Olivares, an EEOC spokesman, before receiving the memo.
Ongoing Litigation
Caste discrimination occurs within South Asian communities, with workers at the bottom of the hierarchy experiencing harassment, bullying, and exclusion “in private, public and places of work,” the memo states.
“Every day, on a covert basis, many Dalit Americans face discrimination that can be addressed by the American legal system,” the groups said. “All Americans must be treated with dignity and respect at work and in all other aspects of their lives regardless of caste or race, descent and national origin or another protected classification.”
American companies, and their human resources departments, are being forced to grapple with these prejudices as they’re imported with workers from other cultures.
In the Cisco case, for example, an unnamed Dalit employee identified only as John Doe alleged he faced a hostile work environment, and received less pay and fewer opportunities.
But not all groups agree that caste discrimination is prevalent in the U.S.
“Caste has no legal, social, or cultural definition in the United States, and is not an observable or objectively determinable trait or characteristic,” said the Hindu American Foundation, a religious advocacy group, in the group’s motion to intervene in the Cisco case. The organization alleges the California employment agency’s lawsuit violates the constitutional rights of Hindu Americans.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it screened 1.64 million passengers on Thursday at U.S. airports, the highest number since March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic slashed travel demand.
The number of U.S. air travelers is still about 35% lower than the same date in 2019, down nearly 1 million travelers, TSA said. U.S. airlines have been adding more flights, anticipating rising summer travel demand.
U.S. airline stocks rose Friday on optimism about travel demand, with United Airlines up 2.3%, American Airlines (AAL.O) up 2% and Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) up 2.3%.
This is the second new post March 2020 high set this week. TSA said it had screened nearly 1.63 million passengers on Sunday at U.S. airports. Thursday's figure was up about 17,000 over Sunday.
By comparison, just 190,000 people were screened at U.S. airports on the same day in May 2020. U.S. airlines have been adding more flights, anticipating rising summer travel demand.
Last month, United Airlines (UAL.O) said it was adding more than 480 daily flights to its U.S. schedule in June to meet summer travel demand that is expected to rise as more people receive COVID-19 vaccines.
American Airlines (AAL.O) said in April it expects to fly more than 90% of its domestic seat capacity compared with summer 2019 and 80% of its international seat capacity compared with 2019, and it will operate more than 150 new routes this summer.
Airlines are seeing an uptick in bookings as accelerated vaccination efforts encourage leisure travel with friends and family after months of pandemic-linked restrictions.

Dublin, May 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ResearchAndMarkets.com published a new article on the US Vacation Cruise Industry, "Cruise Ships - US Vacation Cruises to Re-start in July"

Cruise lines could resume US operations by mid-July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday, sending the industry's stocks up on investor hope that a more than year-long suspension could be nearing its end.
Ships can begin limited sailings with passengers if 98 percent of its crew and 95 percent of its passengers are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, which has met twice-weekly with cruise line reps over the past month to discuss how they can safely resume sailing from US ports.
The CDC said it agreed to ease some requirements on testing and shorten the process through which cruise operators were required to apply for simulated sailings, which are required before passenger sailings under current CDC restrictions.
The article on ResearchAndMarkets.com contains a selection of reports on cruise and yacht vacations:
Yacht Charter Market Report Worldwide 2021
United States Passenger Cruises & Ferries Market 2021-2025
Luxury Travel - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics
To see the full article and a list of related reports on the market, visit "Cruise Ships - US Vacation Cruises to Re-start in July"

Terming the situation in India "very desperate", America's top public health expert Dr Anthony Fauci has suggested the government marshal all its resources, including the armed forces, to immediately build makeshift field hospitals, and urged other countries to help with not only materials but also personnel.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, Fauci, who is the Chief Medical Adviser to US President Joe Biden, also called for a nationwide lockdown, not necessarily for six months but "for a few weeks" to break the "continuity and transmission of infection." Dr. Fauci's suggestions and dire assessment of India came as the number of new Covid infections in India officially passed 2 crores, almost double the number three months ago. Of these more than 2,20,000 people have died, according to official figures.
In contrast, the United States has recorded 3.2 crore cases and 5,77,000 deaths in a population that's one-fourth of India's 120 crores since the pandemic began. Still, because of India's inadequate healthcare infrastructure, weaker economy and lower standard of living, the suffering has been magnified, especially in the second wave that has led to a huge shortage of oxygen and hospital ICU beds. The government says the infection rates have consistently dropped since April 30, when it recorded more than 400,000 cases. It reported over 355,000 cases on Tuesday. "Given the fact that India is under such terrible stress right now with the extent of the outbreak, the rest of the world should pitch in to help, similar to what the United States is doing," he said. "The world can help by supplying India with materials, and perhaps even personnel, but certainly materials that they need to adequately address it (the pandemic)," he said. The 80-year-old physician and immunologist, who serves as the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Monday also recommend mass vaccination to arrest the current spread of the deadly disease across India.
"Right now, they should start getting as many people vaccinated as they possibly can, with both the vaccines that they developed themselves in India as well as supplies of vaccines that they may be able to procure from other suppliers, be that the United States, be that Russia… whatever country is willing whenever companies are willing to supply vaccine," Fauci said.
However, getting someone ''vaccinated now'' does not solve today's problem, he noted, adding that it helps prevent a problem several weeks from now. The more immediate problem is how to care for and treat the thousands who are thronging overflowing hospitals across the country every day, in desperate need of oxygen and basic treatment.
"It is quite obvious to everyone that the situation in India is extremely serious,'' said Fauci, who is considered one of the world's top infectious disease specialists.
"When you have so many people getting infected…the lack of the capability to take adequate care of everyone; when you have shortages of hospital beds and oxygen and shortages of supplies, that really becomes a very desperate situation. Which is the reason why we feel it's important for the rest of the world to help out, to the extent they can," he said.
Fauci, who has been keeping a close tab on the worst health crisis in India, said there are certain things that India can do immediately, mid-term and long-term basis.
He recommended taking the help of the country's armed forces to immediately build makeshift field hospitals. ''You will recall, last year when China had a very serious problem, they marshaled their resources to very, very rapidly build new hospitals, to be able to handle all the people who required hospitalization,'' he said. Referring to media reports, he said there is a drastic shortage of hospital beds in India and people are being taken care of in makeshift arrangements. ''So, it would be possible, perhaps, with the help of your own military, to put up field hospitals as you would do as if in a wartime setting, so that people who are sick and require a hospital bed, will have a hospital bed,'' he said. He also underlined the need for a countrywide lockdown for a few weeks to arrest the spread of the virus.
"A few days ago, I recommended and I believe at least parts of India are doing it, that you shut down the country in lockdown," he said. ''Because other countries, including for example what China did last year, what Australia did when they had an outbreak, what New Zealand did, what other countries did is to completely lockdown for a relatively limited period of time. You don't have to lock down for six months. You can lockdown for a few weeks," Fauci suggested. He explained that when a lockdown in imposed, it definitely interferes with the dynamics of the viral outbreak and you could interfere with the continuity and the transmission of infection, the top immunologist noted, citing the experience gained by other countries. Responding to a question whether the current surge in infections in India posed a threat to other countries, Fauci said, "Well, I mean, obviously, when you have a massive amount of infection in one country there's always a risk of infections. "You want to be careful that that doesn't spread widely elsewhere," Fauci added. ''We are very sorry that India is going through this very, very difficult time. And that's the reason why we know we are in great solidarity with them and trying to do whatever we can to help them,'' Fauci said, referring to the Biden administration rushing medical equipment and life-saving drugs to India to help it fight the pandemic.

On Monday, the United States announced that it plans to share millions of doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-10 vaccine with other countries. That same day, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister and CARICOM Chairman, Dr Keith Rowley said he was in ongoing talks with the US on vaccine redistribution.
A statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday noted that Rowley wrote President Joe Biden on March 19, asking the US to share its surplus vaccines with the region. In response, President Biden confirmed his government’s commitment to partnering with COVAX and other multinational institutions to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines.
Prime Minister Rowley subsequently met with US Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, on March 25 and April 7, and one of the key issues discussed at these meetings was the need for the equitable distribution of vaccines.
Additionally, Rowley held talks with Elizabeth Cameron, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense at The White House, on April 19, to again highlight the critical need for the region to have an adequate and urgent supply of vaccines.
“In all these meetings, the Chairman of CARICOM raised our heightened concerns about the increased danger posed by the almost inevitable possibility of variants of the COVID-19 virus developing or entering within our regional territories,” the statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said.
“A commitment was received that once the policy of redistribution is readied CARICOM will not be ignored.”
Earlier on Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration was looking at options to share American-made AstraZeneca vaccine doses during the next few months.
He indicated that the decision was taken because of the US’ available supply of other COVID-19 vaccines approved for use. It has tens of millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine stockpiled, but they have not been used because the vaccine has not yet been granted emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Given the strong portfolio of vaccines that the United States has already authorized and that is available in large quantities, including two two-dose vaccines and one one-dose vaccine, and given that AstraZeneca is not authorized for use in the United States, we do not need to use AstraZeneca in our fight against COVID over the next few months,” Psaki said.
The White House has not said which countries will get the vaccine.
Psaki said the FDA will conduct a quality review of doses before they can leave the country and that the plan to distribute the vaccine is still being developed.

Reports suggest that the Dubai-based Emirates is close to resuming its flights to Nigeria. The United Arab Emirates airline was banned from flying to the African nation by the Nigerian government in March.
Since last July, Emirates has required all passengers to provide proof of a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within 72-hours of departure. Passengers arriving from counties that the United Arab Emirates deems high risk are then required to take a second PCR test in Dubai before being allowed to leave the airport.

April 26 (UPI) -- The United States will release AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses to other countries, official said Monday.
Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser for COVID-19 response, made the announcement on Twitter.
"U.S. to release 60 million AstraZeneca doses to other countries as they become available," Slavitt tweeted.
The announcement comes amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and experts since the United States has millions of doses of AstraZeneca vaccine that is authorized in other countries, such as India, where the COVID-19 crisis is worsening. The vaccine is not yet authorized for use in the United States.
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., called on President Joe Biden's administration "to release millions of AstraZeneca doses to countries hardest hit by the spread of COVID-19, including India, Argentina, and potentially others," in a statement Thursday.
A day later, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., praised the administration's assistance to India amid shortages of oxygen due to COVID-19 surge in the country, including personal protective equipment, and oxygen generation supplies, and urged the administration to also release AstraZeneca vaccines to India.
On Saturday, Brown University School of Public Health Dean Ashish Jha also urged the Biden administration to send AstraZeneca doses to India in an op-Ed in The Washington Post.
Slavitt responded to some of the criticism in the Twitter post Monday.
"To everyone who understandably says: 'about time' or 'what were they waiting for,' at this time there are still very few available. No real time has been lost," Slavitt tweeted.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a news conference Monday the AstraZeneca doses cannot be released immediately since they have to undergo Food and Drug Administration safety reviews, but she expects "in the coming weeks," about 10 million doses will be available upon the FDA clearance.
Fifty million additional doses are in "various stages of production" and may be available in May and June, Psaki added.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent travel to the United Kingdom for a medical check-up has again raised concern, appropriately, over the poor state of the country’s healthcare system.
The president returned to the country on Thursday, April 15, 2021, after spending two weeks abroad, and proceeded with business as usual, without any indication that anything was amiss with Nigeria’s health care. Yet, he was only a privileged Nigerian, out of 200 million, to be able to access good medical care abroad. It is a thing of shame for the country, with her huge resources and potential, to find herself in such ignoble health condition.
Unfortunately, the Nigerian health sector is ‘plagued with various diseases’ ranging from poor rating in the continent to incessant strikes by health workers and loss of public confidence in the quality of service, leading to medical tourism which, according to a report, gulps over $2b yearly. Another Study ranks Nigeria 14th of African countries with the poor health system, while Buhari’s medical trip is viewed against a need to adequately equip the nation’s hospitals. Nigeria’s dismal rating in these regards is not surprising, given the appalling state of her healthcare delivery that has received nothing more than national lamentation for too long!
The new study ranked Nigeria 14th with a total of 41 scores out of 18 African countries surveyed in a first-of-its-kind Health System Sustainability index report. The country ranked last in maternal mortality, infant vaccination, and neonatal mortality. In addition, Nigeria also came 17th on births attended by skilled health staff and access to effective treatment for tuberculosis. Thus, this report reinforced what is already known, over which calls have been made for the government to make improvements.
The first global healthcare ranking, which was based on a qualification of personal access and quality for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015 placed Nigeria at the 140th position. The Healthcare Access and Quality Index tracked progress in each country compared to the benchmark year of 1990. The 32 diseases for which death rates were tracked include tuberculosis and other respiratory infections; illnesses that can be prevented with vaccines (diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, and measles); several forms of treatable cancer and heart disease, and maternal and neonatal disorders.
The result showed that virtually all countries improved over the period but many, especially, in Africa and Oceania fell further behind in providing basic care for their citizens. Nigeria lagged far behind most other African countries.
The need for the improved healthcare system in Nigeria, therefore, cannot be over-emphasised. Otherwise, every other critical ingredient of world-class medical care is available in the country. Nigeria is, indeed, blessed with some of the best medical doctors and health practitioners in the world.
Incidentally, many highly educated and talented Nigerian medical professionals are out in foreign countries excelling where the conditions and atmosphere are better. Nigeria’s poor healthcare infrastructure, in particular, coupled with poor remuneration and general insecurity are responsible for the mass migration of Nigeria’s best hands in health care.

Without being prodded, the government ought to recognise that the country is in trouble if there is no adequate healthcare for its teeming population. There is a need for a re-calibration of the healthcare system for accessibility and efficiency in order to serve the population. This, of course, is a challenge to the nation’s leadership at all levels.
A former Minister of Health, the late Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, raised the nation’s healthcare delivery system to a historic world standard through his focus on primary healthcare programme that attracted international support and which he vigorously drove with personal commitment and integrity. Many international agencies supported the programme and funded it. UNICEF vehicles and personnel were found everywhere in the country, especially, in the rural areas implementing different aspects of the primary health care programme. Leadership was a critical variable in Ransome-Kuti’s success story. Sadly, the nation’s leaders now seem obsessed with jetting out of the country for health care at the slightest headache, leaving the poor masses to their fate in poorly equipped hospitals; a case of the ‘fish rotting from the head’.
It is a national embarrassment of intense proportion that wealthy Nigerians, who can afford it, continue to flock to foreign countries to seek medical help while the poor are left with no option other than to probably die. That is a sad testimonial for a country that is supposed to be a model and leading example in the Africa continent.
To change this narrative, Nigeria has to be more pragmatic and improve accountability, reduce or eliminate corruption, promote good governance even within the health care system, jettison ethic racketeering, fight fake drugs, scale-up and ensure that all states buy into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for a more organized health care system and also to improve the funding of health care. The NHIS will reduce out-of-pocket expenses on health.
Also, anti-corruption agencies should turn their searchlights to the health sector and ensure that the key performance indicators (KPIs) tied to the budgets at all levels of governance and other health finances are achieved; because despite huge budgets for drugs in most public hospitals, for instance, they are almost always out of stock.
Furthermore, as the nation is weak in curative health, it is important to change the paradigm and make health care more basic through preventive health using Sanitary Inspectors. There is a need for competitive federalism in the health sector. The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) should be a model for other states to follow.
No doubt there is a need to raise the benchmark of funding of the health sector, and there is an urgent need to build the critical infrastructure as well as foist the right environment for a good healthcare delivery system in Nigeria. It is a worn phrase, but no improvement can be made on the saying that a healthy nation is a wealthy one.

On the road toward a return to normalcy, the rapidly climbing number of Covid-19 vaccinations is good news. But a major challenge may lie ahead, a leading health expert says.
Tens of millions of Americans haven't started their vaccinations yet, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins told CNN on Wednesday, and "a lot of those folks are still not sure that they want to take part in this amazing opportunity to put this virus behind us."
"We have to really figure out how to get the messages out there so that those who are still undecided get the information they need to see why this is really something they would want to do."
A report published this week warned the country will likely reach a "tipping point" in the next two to four weeks and vaccine supply could outstrip demand. Parts of the country have already begun to see that pattern. And younger Americans, many of whom recently became eligible for a shot, are less likely than older residents to claim they have or will get vaccinated, a recent poll found.
But experts say the US needs much higher levels of vaccination to control the virus.
"If we're going to get past this terrible pandemic, it's going to take most of us being immunized. Otherwise, the virus can just keep going on and on," Collins said.
So far, roughly 40.5% of the US population has received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose and about 26.4% is fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaccine advisers at the CDC plan to meet Friday to discuss bringing Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine back into use. It was put on hold to investigate a potential link to serious blood clots.
Federal, state and local efforts are ongoing to push up the numbers of those vaccinated.
"I think our effort shifts, and it shifts to younger people who just don't think about Covid quite as much," Andy Slavitt, the White House senior adviser for Covid-19 response, told CNN.
In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan announced a new "all-hands-on-deck" effort to ensure every resident who wants a shot can get one as quickly as possible, including seniors and college students.
"We truly are close to that light at the end of the tunnel. Those of you who have not yet been vaccinated, please go get a vaccine as quickly as you can. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for your friends, and do it so that all of us can put this global pandemic behind us," Hogan said in a statement.

Despite a mounting list of countries in Africa and Europe that have suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine due rare cases of blood clots, the Nigerian government is backing the jab — which is currently the most widely-used COVID-19 vaccine worldwide. 
In a statement on April 16, Dr. Faisal Shuaibu, who leads the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), announced that the government is moving up its timeline for administering the second dose of the jab to factor in global supply challenges, as well as its capacity to get more vaccines and deliver on its COVID-19 response plan to vaccinate 70% of the country in the next two years.
“We anticipate a delay in vaccine supply to Nigeria. The government has, therefore, decided to rationalise by preserving 50% of available doses of the vaccine for administration as second doses,” Shuaibu said at a town hall meeting, on Tuesday. 
For most Nigerians, this means that it might take longer than expected to end the COVID-19 pandemic in the country while it reels from the impact of the pandemic on health, security, education, and social welfare. 
“Since the first case was confirmed in Lagos on Feb. 27 2020, COVID-19 has taken [more than] 2,060 Nigerian lives and continued to strain our economy. Our GDP has fallen by 23% due to the downturn in economic activities, both inside Nigeria and with our international trading partners,” said Osagie Enahire, Nigeria’s minister of health, on Tuesday. 
The situation is much the same across the continent with at least 36 countries relying on vaccines from COVAX, a global vaccine distribution initiative that aims to supply 2 billion vaccine doses this year to low- and middle-income countries, including 600 million doses to Africa — enough to cover 20% of the population.
According to Shuaibu, Nigeria has not reported any cases of blood clots since it began its COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
In a joint press conference held with WHO Nigeria last week, Shuaibu said: “The World Health Organisation (WHO) strongly recommends the continued use of AstraZeneca for all age groups, and its top scientists advocate for its safety. The calculated benefits far outweigh the risks.”
The NPHCDA is the only government agency responsible for the distribution of COVID-19 jabs, which Nigeria has so far only been able to acquire through donations and COVAX, which is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, along with the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI).

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, H.E. Timipre Sylva announced that the Federal Government will commence the opening of micro gas distribution channels across all local councils in the federation. This was done at the launch of the Nigerian Women for Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG). The Minister noted that LPG will be used as a clean alternative to firewood, which is largely utilized for cooking in rural parts of the country. Minister Sylva stated that the LPG project aims to empower rural women as they use a cleaner energy source for cooking, with 99 million women across households in all local councils being targeted over the next three years. The project will cut across 120 political units and 800 political wards across the 774 Local Government Areas in the federation. 
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Alhaji Mele Kyari received high praise in the U.S. 2020 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Nigeria. Kyari received a commendation for releasing the NNPC’s audited 2018 financial statement for the first time in 43 years. NNPC released the audited 2018 financial statement in June 2020, the first of its kind since its inception in 1977, publishing audited accounts of 20 of its subsidiaries and business divisions in the process.  
The report praised the launch of the Financial Transparency Policy and Portal, as it aims to increase transparency and government accountability of funds transferred. It further noted that the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, as well as other anti-corruption watchdog groups praised the administration for implementing a procedure to have better access to government spending data.

Abebe Selassie, IMF director of African department, spoke on Thursday at a virtual briefing on economic outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigeria exited recession with a 0.11 percent growth in the fourth of 2020.
IMF had projected growth of 2.5 percent for Nigeria in 2021 from 1.5 percent announced in January.
The Washington-based institution also forecast a growth of 3.4 percent for the Sub-Saharan Africa region in 2021, up 0.2 percent from the previous forecast.
Selassie said reforms are needed in the area of fiscal space and energy sector to boost growth in the economy.
“In the case of Nigeria, ensuring that the country enjoys its tremendous potential requires reforms in three areas in our view,” he said.
“First and foremost, more fiscal space needs to be created through domestic revenue mobilisation, investments in health, education, and infrastructure which Nigeria expressly needs.
“Second, good reform in the energy sector is going to be paramount. Cost of doing business is very high on account of the inefficiencies of the energy sector, power supply, cost of highly inefficient and hurtful use of generators in the country can hinder power supply. Getting policies to make sure that Nigeria resolves this case once and for all is also paramount.
“Third, macroeconomic policy calibration, involving the foreign exchange market will be really important.”