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Over 10,000 health workers in Africa infected with COVID-19.

The World Health Organization (WHO)(https://www.afro.who.int/) today warned of the threat posed by COVID-19 to health workers across Africa. More than 10 000 health workers in the 40 countries which have reported on such infections have been infected with COVID-19 so far, a sign of the challenges medical staff on the frontlines of the outbreak face.

This comes as COVID-19 cases in Africa appear to be gathering pace. There are now more than 750 000 cases of COVID-19, with over 15 000 deaths. Some countries are approaching a critical number of infections that can place stress on health systems. South Africa is now among the worst-hit countries in the world.

“The growth we are seeing in COVID-19 cases in Africa is placing an ever-greater strain on health services across the continent,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “This has very real consequences for the individuals who work in them, and there is no more sobering example of this than the rising number of health worker infections.”

So far, about 10% of all cases globally are among health workers, though there is a wide range between individual countries. In Africa, information on health worker infections is still limited, but preliminary data finds that they make up more than 5% of cases in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa alone, and in four of these, health workers make up more than 10% of all infections.

Inadequate access to personal protective equipment or weak infection prevention and control measures raise the risk of health worker infection. Surging global demand for protective equipment as well as global restrictions on travel have triggered supply shortages. Health workers can also be exposed to patients who do not show signs of the disease and are in the health facilities for a range of other services. Risks may also arise when health personnel are repurposed for COVID-19 response without adequate briefing, or because of heavy workloads which result in fatigue, burnout and possibly not fully applying the standard operating procedures.

In many African countries infection prevention and control measures aimed at preventing infections in health facilities are still not fully implemented. When WHO assessed clinics and hospitals across the continent for these measures, only 16% of the nearly 30 000 facilities surveyed had assessment scores above 75%. Many health centres were found to lack the infrastructure necessary to implement key infection prevention measures, or to prevent overcrowding. Only 7.8% (2213) had isolation capacities and just a third had the capacity to triage patients.

“One infection among health workers is one too many,” said Dr Moeti. “Doctors, nurses and other health professionals are our mothers, brothers and sisters. They are helping to save lives endangered by COVID-19. We must make sure that they have the equipment, skills and information they need to keep themselves, their patients and colleagues safe.”

Also Read: Slovenia becomes first country to declare end of coronavirus pandemic.

WHO has been working closely with health ministries to reduce health worker infections since the outbreak began. The Organization has trained more than 50 000 health workers in Africa in infection prevention and control, with plans to train over 200 000 more, as well as providing guidance documents and guidelines on best care practices and the most up-to-date treatment regimes.

WHO is also helping to fill gaps in the supply of personal protective equipment. Currently, 41 million items of personal protective equipment are ready to ship from China to cover the needs of 47 African countries. Shipments for an initial set of 23 African countries are planned to start during this weekend.

As a result of concerted efforts by WHO and partners some African countries have managed to reduce health worker infections considerably. For example, two months ago over 16% of COVID-19 infections in Sierra Leone were among health workers. The figure has now dropped to 9%. Cote d’Ivoire has reduced the proportion of infections among health workers from 6.1% to 1.4%. Scaling up infection prevention and control measures can further reduce infections among health workers.

Dr Moeti spoke about health worker infections in Africa during a virtual press conference today organized by APO Group. She was joined by Hon Dr Léonie Claudine Lougue, Minister of Health of Burkina Faso; Hon Dr Alpha T. Wurie, Minister of Health and Population of Sierra Leone; and Dr Jemima A. Dennis-Antwi, International Maternal Health & Midwifery Specialist.

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 Sports

No Ballon d’Or in 2020.

The Ballon d’Or awards, one of the most prestigious football awards will not be awarded this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is happening for the first time since 1956. A statement from France Football, organizers of the event reads below.

“There will be no edition in 2020, because it turns out, after thoughtful consideration, that all the conditions are not met. We believe that such a singular year cannot -and should not- be treated as an ordinary one.

From a sports perspective, two months (January and February), out of the eleven generally required to form an opinion and decide who should lift the trophies, represent far too little to gauge and judge; without forgetting that the other games were played – or will be played – in unordinary conditions (behind closed doors, with five replacements, Champions League’s Final 8 played in a single game).

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Finally, the equity that prevails for this honorary title will not be warranted, especially when it comes to accounting and preparation: all the award seekers will not be in the same boat, some having seen their season cut short. Therefore, how can we establish a fair comparison? To avoid overly convoluted calculations and projections, we chose the least bad of the options.

This decision, which was taken of course with all the Group stakeholders, does not delight us but it seems to be the most responsible one. Protecting the credibility and legitimacy of such an award also means ensuring its flawlessness over time.

The Ballon d’Or will gather again the football big family and enthusiasts in 2021, to relive the happiness that surrounds the ceremonies as we have experienced them in recent years ».

The France Football Dream Team at the end of the year

Instead of the four usual winners (men and women BO, Kopa and Yachine Trophies), France Football will designate 11 players at the end of the year and establish an all-time team chosen by the usual BO jury (180 juries from all over the world).
The idea? Each jury will choose 11 players from a list of names established by FF redaction to build their Dream Team. This team of legend will be unveiled on L’Équipe and France Football various channels.

With this development, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi will remain the football player with the most Ballon d’Ors in history this year.

 

 

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 La Liga, Sports

Current Barca team lacks identity- Dani Alves

Former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves has offered his thoughts on what is wrong with his former team. The  37-year-old who left Barcelona for Italian giants Juventus in 2016 after almost a decade in Catalonia is of the opinion that the current Blaugrana lacks identity on the pitch.

“What this Barça lacks is the identity it has always had, like Ronaldinho’s Barça, our Barça. The identity of a team that dominates for 90 minutes, 100 minutes, or 150 minutes. Barça are there for people to enjoy. Now what I see, from the outside, is that Barça are just another team. They used to have an understanding throughout the team and made things look easy.” He told Catalunya Radio

Also Read: Liverpool’s replica home shirt becomes the highest selling in their history.

“What this Barça lacks is the identity it has always had, like Ronaldinho’s Barça, our Barça. The identity of a team that dominates for 90 minutes, 100 minutes, or 150 minutes. Barça are there for people to enjoy. Now what I see, from the outside, is that Barça are just another team. They used to have an understanding throughout the team and made things look easy.” He told Catalunya Radio

Speaking on his ex teammate, Lionel Messi’s frustration at the club, the Brazilian chipped in.

“Leo is a natural winner. He doesn’t like losing. When the team loses it’s normal he gets angry, he always wants to win. Just like me. We always want to win.

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“He sees, what I feel, and that’s a lack of support. I’ll always say that Messi is the main course and we were the perfect ingredients for that plate. Now I have the feeling that he’s doing everything, all the time, and we must remember he’s only human.”

Barca were beaten 2-1 at home by Osasuna on Thursday, handing the LaLiga title to their rival, Real Madrid. An emotional Lionel Messi spoke of the need for the club to change to continue the Champions League race.

“We need to change a lot, otherwise we will also lose against Napoli, I already said before that playing like this we won’t be able to fight for the Champions League and you see, we could not even fight for the league. We need to be self-critical.”

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 English Premier League, Sports

Football fans could return to UK stadiums from October.

UK stadiums will be reopened to spectators from October, British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has announced. Recall that the stadiums were shut in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and matches have been played behind closed doors after the return of the Premier League on June 17.

“We will pilot larger gatherings in venues like sports stadiums with a view to a wider reopening in the autumn, from October, we intend to bring back audiences in stadiums. Again, these changes must be done in a Covid-secure way, subject to the successful outcome of pilots.” He said on Friday.

The government has  outlined operating guidelines for that to happen. They include:

  • Fans must agree to a new code of behaviour that includes not attending if they potentially have symptoms of coronavirus or have been exposed to a person who has tested positive;
  • Social distancing must be observed in seating arrangements;
  • Crowd management plans should be in place, including the controlled entry and exit of fans and one-way systems;
  • Additional hygiene facilities should be installed inside venues, particularly at entrances and exits;
  • Screening procedures should be considered at stadium entrances.

Sports minister Nigel Huddleston spoke of his excitement about the news.“For months, millions of us have felt the void of being unable to go to the match to support our team or attend a top-class sporting event, So I am pleased that we are now able to move forward with a plan to help venues safely reopen their doors to fans.  I recognise that not every sport, team or club has the benefit of huge commercial revenue, and it is often their dedicated fans that are the lifeblood which helps keep them going. By working closely with sports and medical experts, these pilots will help ensure the safe return of fans to stadiums. Although it will remain some time before venues are full to capacity, this is a major step in the right direction for the resumption of live spectator sport across the country.”

 

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 English Premier League, Sports

“It’s a disgraceful decision.” -Klopp, Mourinho knock CAS over Man City decision.

Tottenham and Liverpool managers, José Mourinho and Jürgen Klopp have criticized CAS’ decision to overturn Manchester City’s two-year Champions League ban.  Man City was initially punished by UEFA in February when they were banned from competing in the Champions League or Europa League for two years and given a €30m fine for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

Pep Guardiola’s side on Monday had their appeal against a ban from UEFA competition for breaking Financial Fair Play rules lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This means the defending champions will be able to play in next season’s Champions League but the club will still have to pay a fine, which has been reduced from €30 million (£25m/$33m) to €10m (£9m/$11m).
Reacting to the decision, Klopp said, “I don’t think it was a good day for football yesterday (Monday), to be honest,” Klopp told a virtual news conference on Tuesday. “FFP is a good idea. It is there for protecting teams and the competition so that nobody overspends and have to make sure the money they want to spend is based on the right sources.”
Morurinho described it as a disgraceful decision. He told reporters in a virtual news conference ahead of Wednesday’s clash against 13th-placed Newcastle United. “In any case it’s a disgraceful decision because if Manchester City are not guilty then they should not be punished with the fine, If you’re not guilty, you shouldn’t have a fine. If they are guilty, the decision is also a disgrace and they should be banned from the competition. I don’t know if Manchester City are guilty or not, but either way it’s a disgraceful decision.”
He added that the system needs to be overhauled if it is to continue to serve its purpose which is to aim to stop clubs running big losses through spending on players.
“I think this is going to be the end of Financial Fair Play, because there is no point, I would like to see it used in a proper way. At this moment we are talking about Manchester City, but in the past other clubs were in a similar situation. I think it’s better to open the circus door and let everybody enjoy.”

“Whilst Manchester City and its legal advisors are yet to review the full ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the club welcomes the implications of today’s ruling as a validation of the club’s position and the body of evidence that it was able to present. The club wishes to thank the panel members for their diligence and the due process that they administered.” City responded to the verdict.

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 Entertainment, Movie reviews

Movie Review: Royal Hibiscus Hotel | By: Jerry Chiemeke

Movie Title: Royal Hibiscus Hotel
Genre: Romance
Cast: Zainab Balogun, Kenneth Okolie, Deyemi Okanlawon, Jide Kosoko, Rachel Oniga, Charles Inojie, OC Ukeje, Lala Akindoju, Toni Tones, Olu Jacobs, Joke Silva
Direcor: Ishaya Bako

“Royal Hibiscus Hotel” is the story of Ope Adeniyi (Balogun), a lady who works as an assistant chef at a restaurant in London. She quits her job in the face of shabby treatment from her supervisor, and when she fails in her bid to pitch the idea of an African restaurant to an English investor, she decides to return home, much to the delight of her mother Rose (Oniga) who is eager to see her get married.

Ope plans to take over the hotel owned by her father, Segun Adeniyi (Kosoko). Unknown to her, however, her father has concluded plans to sell the hotel to pay off huge debts. The prospective buyers, Deji (Okolie) and Martins (Okanlawon) arrange to spend a few nights in two of the hotel’s more expensive suites. Ope, eager to switch up the quality of food at the hotel, runs into Deji, and an emotionally intense situation erupts.

The quality of sound throughout the movie is top-notch, and there is evidence of significant effort in terms of production, even where the lip-syncing at the second dinner scene is pretty obvious. The cinematography is admirable too, never mind one of the scenes where the fire from the gas cooker had “special effects” written all over it. The score is beautiful too, with songs like Johnny Drille’s “Romeo and Juliet”, Mr Eazi’s “Skin Tight” and Nonso Amadi’s “Tonight”. If an original sound track is released, I will definitely purchase it.

Jide Kosoko and Rachel Oniga give a good representation of the old guard as they complement each other well, and Oniga’s outlandish wardrobe choices are easily forgivable with her good acting. Zainab Balogun gives a fairly good account of herself, and Deyemi Okanlawon plays the role of asshole to a head-nodding extent. For someone playing Yoruba Demon, Okolie could have been smoother, but the part where he takes off his shirt will definitely get the ladies swooning. Lala Akindoju is adorable in this one, and while Charles Inojie’s comedy doesn’t translate here as effectively as it does in “The Johnsons”, he is by no means a poor actor. OC Ukeje’s role is not exactly relevant to the plot, and the necessity of the Jacobs/Silva combination as the old-couple-still-in-love is still up for debate.
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There are a number of head-scratching moments occasioned by this film’s script though; where does a hotel guest get to make meals at a five-star hotel, and where does the same guest suddenly gain unlimited access to the hotel’s kitchen? The airport scene where Ope and Deji “accidentally” bump into each other for the first time reeks of eye-rolling clichés, and the conclusion is as improbably as it is corny; who buys off a huge property, adds the name of the seller’s daughter to the title document, and then flies to London to request a partnership? There is love, and there is saccharine bullshit.

“Royal Hibiscus Hotel” boasts of abundant colour, but is bedeviled by a plot that drags us more in the direction of Asaba than Hollywood Boulevard. It is cheesier than Jade Osiberu’s “Isoken”, and sadly, less properly executed. It is apt for the season we’re in, and it will generate lots of cooing and abdominal butterflies, but if you are looking for a memorable movie, save that ticket money, Black Panther is not far away.

Rating: 6/10

Jerry Chiemeke is a columnist, culture critic and lawyer. His works have appeared in The Inlandia Journal, The Johannesburg Review of Books, The Guardian, Honey & Lime, Bone and Ink Press and Agbowo, among others. A lover of long walks and alternative rock music, Jerry lives in Lagos, Nigeria where he is working on a novel. He is the winner of the 2017 Ken Saro Wiwa Prize for Reviews, and he was shortlisted for the 2019 Diana Woods Memorial Award for Creative Nonfiction.

Jerry has been a featured contributor for platforms like Okadabooks, Bellanaija, The Bagus, The Lagos Review and the Opera News Hub. He has also facilitated writing workshops in different parts of Nigeria, and for his contribution to the Nigerian literary community, he was presented with the 2019 Connect Nigeria Award for Excellence.

He is the author of ‘The Colours In These Leaves’. Get the book here
He tweets @J_Chiemeke

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 Opinion

WHO calls for equitable access to future COVID-19 vaccines in Africa.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in Africa (www.Afro.WHO.int) joined immunization experts in urging the international community and countries in Africa to take concrete actions to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, as researchers around the world race to find effective protection against the virus.

“It is clear that as the international community comes together to develop safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19, equity must be a central focus of these efforts,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Too often, African countries end up at the back of the queue for new technologies, including vaccines. These life-saving products must be available to everyone, not only those who can afford to pay.”

WHO and partners launched the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to speed up the development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. It brings together leaders of government, global health organizations civil society groups, businesses and philanthropies to form a plan for an equitable response to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO is collaborating with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to ensure a fair allocation of vaccines to all countries, aiming to deliver 2 billion doses globally for high-risk populations, including 1 billion for low and middle-income countries.

The African Union has endorsed the need for Africa to develop a framework to actively engage in the development and access to COVID-19 vaccines. Countries can take steps now that will strengthen health systems, improve immunization delivery, and pave the way for the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine. These include: mobilizing financial resources; strengthening local vaccine manufacturing, and regulatory, supply and distribution systems; building workforce skills and knowledge; enhancing outreach services; and listening to community concerns to counter misinformation.

Globally, there are nearly 150 COVID-19 vaccine candidates and currently 19 are in clinical trials. South Africa is the first country on the continent to start a clinical trial with the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg testing a vaccine developed by the Oxford Jenner Institute in the United Kingdom. The South African Ox1Cov-19 Vaccine VIDA-Trial is expected to involve 2000 volunteers aged 18–65 years and include some people living with HIV. The vaccine is already undergoing trials in the United Kingdom and Brazil with thousands of participants.

According to the African Academy of Sciences only 2% of clinical trials conducted worldwide occur in Africa. It is important to test the COVID-19 vaccine in countries where it is needed to ensure that it will be effective. With more than 215 000 cases, South Africa accounts for 43% of the continent’s total cases. Clinical trials must be performed according to international and national scientific and ethical standards, which include informed consent for any participant.

“I encourage more countries in the region to join these trials so that the contexts and immune response of populations in Africa are factored in to studies,” said Dr Moeti. “Africa has the scientific expertise to contribute widely to the search for an effective COVID-19 vaccine. Indeed, our researchers have helped develop vaccines which provide protection against communicable diseases such as meningitis, Ebola, yellow fever and a number of other common health threats in the region.”

Earlier, this month WHO Africa’s principle advisory group on immunization policies and programmes – the African Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (RITAG) – also noted the need to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 and other vaccines in the region.

“As the world focuses on finding a vaccine for COVID-19, we must ensure people do not forget that dozens of lifesaving vaccines already exist. These vaccines should reach children everywhere in Africa – no one can be left behind,” said Professor Helen Rees, Chair of the RITAG.

Initial analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immunization in the African Region suggests that millions of African children are likely to be negatively impacted, as routine immunization services and vaccination campaigns for polio, cholera, measles, yellow fever, meningitis and human papilloma virus have been disrupted.

Despite these challenges, RITAG members also noted significant milestones and markers of progress. For example, there have been tremendous gains in the fight against wild poliovirus, and the African Region is expected to be officially certified free of wild poliovirus in August 2020. The Democratic Republic of the Congo also announced the end of its 10th Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC, which was the worst in its history. An effective vaccine was a key tool in the response.

Dr Moeti spoke about COVID-19 vaccine development in Africa during a virtual press conference today organized by APO Group. She was joined by Professor Shabir Madhi, University of Witwatersrand, Principal Investigator of Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Trial in South Africa; and Professor Pontiano Kaleebu, Director of the MCR/UVRI and LSHTM Ugandan Research Unit. The briefing was streamed on more than 300 African news sites as well as the WHO Regional Office for Africa’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.

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 Sports

The five substitutions rule may be extended to next season.

Fair or not?

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) are set to announce the temporary extension of the rule allowing teams to make up to five substitutes in one game to cover the 2020/21 season,  the Athletic reports. This decision will surely stir up some controversies as it will only benefit the bigger, richer teams with deeper squads.

In some quarters, it has been described as  “A move that may fuel inequality, improve the quality at the very top level, and may have some unpredictable side effects.”

IFAB introduced the five substitutes rule just for a short term as they looked to provide clubs with a greater chance of protecting their players from injuries and fatigue during a very hectic schedule. he IFAB ‘are expected’ to discuss the current issues surrounding the offside rule in the coming months.

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 English Premier League, Sports

‘If I answer I’m going to be in trouble’ – Jose Mourinho reacts to Eric Dier’s ban.

Tottenham coach, Jose Mourinho has reacted to the punishment handed to the England and Tottenham midfielder over fan confrontation. The Tottenham player who climbed into the stand following Spurs’ FA Cup exit to Norwich back in March to confront a fan who was arguing with his brother was banned for four matches and fined £40,000 by the Football Association. An independent panel ruled it was not his sole intention to protect his brother when he entered the stands that his behaviour was ‘objectively threatening’.

The Portuguese coach is apparently not happy with the FA decision has chosen to keep mum on the matter. Asked about it ahead of Thursday’s Premier League trip to Bournemouth, the former Chelsea and Manchester United coach said, “No reaction, I prefer no reaction. I am not going to answer if I answer I am going to be in trouble and I don’t want to be. So no comment on that.” 

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His ban means the 26-year-old will not feature in Tottenham’s remaining Premier League fixtures. On appealing, he added: “I don’t think so, if you appeal you have other risks. At least let’s start next season without a suspension. We all know how it works at these FA decisions. You have access if you want to the record of successful appeals and unsuccessful appeals. I don’t think so, I don’t think we’re going to appeal.”

Speaking more on the player, Mourinho said, “I think he had a strange season.” “He’s doing well. We look forward to next season when he’ll be a center-back.” “He’ll be an important player for us.”

Also Read: Dele Alli handed one-match ban for social media post.

“We appreciate some filmed the incident and others simply watched. But, that of itself does not prevent it being, when viewed objectively, threatening. His conduct caused or contributed to the spectator fleeing. It is also no doubt why a number of people held him back from exit 103 and stopped him from pursuing the fleeing spectator. Eric Dier’s conduct may not have been threatening to those holding him back, but we are satisfied it was threatening towards the spectator, and also when viewed objectively.” The FA wrote

 

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 English Premier League, Sports

Liverpool’s replica home shirt becomes the highest selling in their history.

All thanks to their long -awaited victory.

Premier League champions, Liverpool have run out of replica shirts after selling a record-breaking 1.7million this season, the highest selling in their history. The kit produced by US-based manufacturer, New Balance will no longer be produced, following a new relationship between the Champions of England and ace sports kit manufacturer, Nike.  The club has sold so much so that they are about to run out of them.

Also Read: Photos from Liverpool FC’s Premier League title celebration.

Liverpool has achieved record shirt sales for each of the past three seasons and they are looking to breaking their sales record again next season, with the Nike deal, believed to be worth £30m-a-year, set to become the most lucrative in Anfield history. The new contract will start on August 1st, 2020.

Liverpool FC sealed the 19th league English Premier League title last Thursday, as Chelsea beat Manchester City, bringing their end to their 30-year title drought.

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