Tag Archives: Covid-19

“We continue to work with health authorities around the world to ensure high visibility access to trusted and accurate public health information on our service, including about COVID-19 vaccines”

Hundreds of thousands of people have left Britain due to the effects of the pandemic on the economy, a new study carried out by the London’s Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence has revealed. The study said that there is an “unprecedented exodus” of workers born outside Britain. According to the authors, “It seems that much of the burden of job losses …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has expressed optimism that the Nigerians in Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS), which began on Friday, would be a platform for diaspora investors, partners, collaborators to interact with government agencies, in a direct round table, for mutual benefit. NiDCOM’s CEO/Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said this at the opening ceremony of the third edition of NDIS, holding …

Former President Jerry John Rawlings is dead, according to Ghanaian media reports. Rawlings, who ruled Ghana for the longest period of its postcolonial history, passed on Thursday (12 November) after a brief illness. He had been hospitalised in Accra for about a week for an undisclosed ailment before his death. He was 73. Rawlings, who was born in Accra on …

As a second wave of coronavirus infections grips Europe, with several countries reporting high levels of daily new infections and deaths, a new vaccine is fuelling hope for an imminent victory over the global pandemic. German pharmaceutical firm BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer announced on Monday the result of tests carried out on a vaccine they were jointly developing. …

New quarantine rules for people entering Germany from risk areas enters into force on 8 November. Up to now, anyone returning to Germany from a risk area has been subject to compulsory testing and quarantine. The new regulation provides for a reduction of the quarantine period from 14 to 10 days. What are the new rules? Anyone who has been …

An unfortunate effect of COVID-19, to include on the already long list, is that news stories which would usually make the headlines are either not being reported or are consigned to the back pages. What can happen is that governments then feel able to ignore important issues safe in the knowledge that they may be less likely to be challenged.

Just as Germany introduced new lockdown measures, France followed suit on Wednesday. Against the background of the country recording more than 36,000 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, President Emmanuel Macron announced the new restrictions in a speech from the Elysee palace after an emergency meeting of the government. France will enter a new coronavirus lockdown on Friday …

To contain the corona pandemic, the Federal Government and the States (Länder) have decided on a nationwide partial lockdown in Germany. It will apply from Monday, 2 November, until the end of the month, according to a resolution of a virtual meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the state premiers on Wednesday. The so-called nationwide “lockdown light” is a less …

The coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Germany. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the country’s centre for public disease control and prevention, reported a new record of 7,334 new infections within one day on Friday (16 October). A day earlier, 6,638 new cases were registered in the country, the highest figure since the beginning of the pandemic. In view of rising …

About 220,000 applications for regularisation in Italy have been submitted by resident foreigners without papers since 1 June, when the scheme was launched as part of COVID-19 economic rejuvenation measures, according to Deputy Interior Minister Matteo Mauri. The minister made the revelation on 13 October after a meeting at the prefecture of Foggia in the region of Puglia, where he …

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement was initially scheduled to enter into force in July 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the commencement of the implementation of the continental deal has been postponed until January 2021. NJ Ayuk*, international legal practitioner and founder of one of Africa’s most successful law chambers, explains why the global health …

Retail shops have been subject to increased hygiene and social distancing rules since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March. These range from obligation to wear face mask, plexiglas panels at the checkout and distance markings on the floor to entrance restrictions. How do we protect ourselves when we go shopping is one of the questions we’re confronted with? …

“In many African countries, debt service payments take up more place in the budget than investments in education, health or social security. Not only do they lack the financial leeway to effectively tackle the corona crisis in their countries, but in the worst case, they are even threatened with national bankruptcy”

Women in Ghana closing the gender gap in internet access - but still miss out on benefits of digital technology. New research from Tim Berners-Lee's Web Foundation reveals a hidden digital gender gap holding women back online

German airline Lufthansa may soon introduce rapid tests before certain flights to detect Covid-19 in passengers.  The tests are being developed by the Basel-based pharmaceutical company Roche, according to reports in the NZZ am Sonntag and SonntagsZeitung. It is unclear on which flights the tests, which could cost around €10 per passenger, will be trialled, the papers said. Lufthansa said …

“We can’t wait to hit the ground running with you, Yemi. We look forward to hearing and sharing the issues that you are passionate about -- including women’s empowerment and tackling inequality”

A South African music track by DJ Master KG with vocals by Nomcebo Zikode is creating excitement across the world in the midst of the gloom caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, it's the most danced to song in the world right now.

The Swiss will vote on Sunday in a referendum on whether to end its agreement with the EU on the free movement of people. The aim of the referendum’s sponsors, the right-wing, anti-immigration Swiss People’s party (SVP), is to limit the number of European Union nationals allowed to live and work in their country, a measure to guarantee preferential access …

A new report on the new coronavirus pandemic in Africa, presented by Partnership for Evidence-Based COVID-19 Response (PERC), reveals the multidimensional challenges faced by the people on the continent and makes recommendations to governments on how to manage the public health crisis to lessen its burden on their citizens Most African Union (AU) Member States swiftly implemented public health and …