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Nigerian president's chief of staff dies from coronavirus Coronavirus hits staff close to Nigerian and Afghan presidents
(about 8 hours later)
Abba Kyari was the top aide to President Buhari and one of the most powerful men in the country; deaths on African continent have passed 1,000 Muhammadu Buhari’s chief of staff dies and 20 people close to Ashraf Ghani test positive
The Nigerian president’s chief of staff, Abba Kyari, has died after contracting Covid-19, two presidency spokesmen said on Twitter, as Covid-19 deaths on the continent pass 1,000. Covid-19 has moved closer to the heart of government in both Nigeria, where the president’s chief of staff has died, and Afghanistan, where the president is in near-isolation after at least 20 officials who work with him reportedly contracted the virus from a contaminated document.
Kyari, who was in his 70s and had underlying health problems, including diabetes, was the top official aide to 77-year-old President Muhammadu Buhari and one of the most powerful men in the country. Abba Kyari was the top official aide to President Muhammadu Buhari and one of the most powerful men in Nigeria. Like Buhari, he was in his 70s, and he had underlying health conditions, including diabetes.
“The Presidency regrets to announce the passage of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari,” said presidency spokesman Garba Shehu in a tweet on Friday, using an honorific title for Kyari. Presidential spokespeople confirmed Kyari’s death on Twitter, as deaths across Africa passed 1,000 and experts warned that the continent was badly prepared for an outbreak. Ten countries have no ventilators at all, the New York Times reported.
“The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging COVID-19, and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday, April 17, 2020,” he said in a second post on Twitter. Spokesman Femi Adesina also confirmed the death. In the US, Donald Trump’s administration was accused of a “dereliction of duty” over the slow expansion of coronavirus testing. Angus King, the independent senator for Maine, reportedly vented his frustration to the vice-president, Mike Pence.
Kyari’s was the highest profile death due to the disease in the West African country, which has 493 confirmed cases and 17 deaths, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. “I have never been so mad about a phone call in my life,” King reportedly said during the conversation. The White House has pushed back at widespread criticism that the US lacks the testing capacity to end lockdowns and reopen its economy.
Kyari acted as the gatekeeper to Buhari. He travelled to Germany in early March with a delegation of other Nigerian officials for meetings with the company, Siemens. He attended meetings with senior government officials upon his return to Nigeria. King’s comments came just hours after Trump posted incendiary tweets that potentially stoked protests against physical distancing and other coronavirus stay-at-home measures in three states led by Democratic governors.
Buhari himself has undisclosed medical ailments and spent five months in London for treatments in 2017. In Spain – the second worst affected country by number of infections, but with fewer deaths than Italy – the death toll passed 20,000 on Saturday, after 565 new fatalities were recorded in the previous 24 hours. However the rate of increase slowed slightly, bolstering hope the country may be bringing its outbreak under control.
The coronavirus has killed 1,000 people across Africa since the pandemic emerged late last year, and the continent has recorded nearly 17,000 infection, according to Johns Hopkins university data. On China’s borders, North Korean authorities have confirmed for the first time that they have seen cases of the disease, Radio Free Asia reported. The infections were revealed in public lectures, though no numbers were given.
Algeria has the highest number of deaths at 364, followed by Egypt with 205, Morocco 135 and South Africa 50, according to the figures compiled on Friday. Pyongyang tried to seal itself off entirely in the early days of the pandemic, closing its borders and flying dozens of foreign diplomats out of the country in March. The country is one of many where weak public health infrastructure has led to fears that an outbreak of the coronavirus could prove devastating.
Africa has so far suffered less than other regions from COVID-19. But limited testing in many countries has deprived African officials of a full picture of the disease’s spread. Afghanistan is another, because of a fragile health network and minimal social welfare provisions. Many people say they have to work or they will starve, and although physical distancing has been ordered, it is often observed only loosely. Nationwide there have been 33 deaths so far.
African leaders, the IMF and the World Bank have appealed for rapid international action to help African countries respond to the pandemic that will cause the continent’s economy to shrink by 1.25% in 2020, the worst reading on record. President Ashraf Ghani has cut back almost all contact with staff, working digitally and meeting only a close inner circle in person, after officials who work at the presidential palace tested positive for the disease.
Other developments on coronavirus include: The outbreak is thought to have arrived in the palace via a contaminated document, delivered from another department, a senior health official told Reuters.
President Donald Trump said that protestors who flouted social distancing measures “seem to be very responsible people”, when commenting on demonstrations against stay-at-home orders. Some protesters have carried guns, waved Trump and Confederate flags and sought to frame the debate as a defence of constitutional freedoms. Ghani, 70, has had serious gastro-intestinal health problems in the past, making him potentially more vulnerable to the coronavirus if he catches it.
Trump again cast doubt on China’s death toll, which was revised up on Friday, and said that “a lot of strange things are happening” regarding the origins of the coronavirus. The pandemic comes at a particularly difficult time for the country, with Ghani still locked in a dispute over the results of last year’s presidential election, trying to start peace talks with the Taliban after Washington agreed a withdrawal deal, and grappling with fallout from a major reduction in US aid.
Germany’s confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 3,609 to 137,439, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Saturday, marking a fourth straight day of a spike in new infections. There are also concerns about the impact of coronavirus across Africa. The continent has so far suffered less than other regions from Covid-19, recording nearly 17,000 infections, according to Johns Hopkins University data. However, limited testing in many countries may have deprived officials of a full picture of the disease’s spread.
The IMF and World Bank have appealed for rapid international action to help African countries respond to the pandemic that will cause the continent’s economy to shrink by 1.25% in 2020, the worst reading on record.
Kyari, who acted as a gatekeeper to Buhari, is among the most high-profile victims in the region. Nigeria so far has recorded 493 confirmed cases and 17 deaths, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
Other developments on coronavirus around the world include:
The US president said protesters who flouted physical distancing measures “seem to be very responsible people”, when commenting on demonstrations against stay-at-home orders. Some protesters have carried guns, waved Trump and confederate flags, and sought to frame the debate as a defence of constitutional freedoms.
Trump again cast doubt on China’s death toll, which was revised up on Friday, and said “a lot of strange things are happening” regarding the origins of the coronavirus.
Germany’s confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 3,609 to 137,439, data from the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases showed on Saturday, marking a fourth straight day of a rise in infections.
Australia’s death toll from Covid-19 rose to 68 on Saturday, with 6,533 infections.Australia’s death toll from Covid-19 rose to 68 on Saturday, with 6,533 infections.
12 Guatemalan migrants on deportation flight from the US tested positive for Covid-19. Twelve Guatemalan migrants on deportation flight from the US tested positive for Covid-19.
The Kurdish-led administration in Syria’s northeast has said that the World Health Organization had found the area’s first case of coronavirus earlier this month after samples were tested in Damascus. The Kurdish-led administration in north-east Syria said the World Health Organization had found the area’s first case of coronavirus earlier this month after samples were tested in Damascus.
All airline passengers in Canada will be required to wear a non-medical masks or face coverings during travel to curb the spread of coronavirus. All airline passengers in Canada will be required to wear non-medical masks or face coverings during travel to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Mexico’s president has said PresidentTrump has promised Mexico will be able to buy 1,000 ventilators and other intensive-therapy equipment used in treating severe cases of Covid-19. Mexico’s president said Trump had promised Mexico would be able to buy 1,000 ventilators and other intensive-therapy equipment used in treating severe cases of Covid-19.
China has reported that on Friday 27 new coronavirus cases were confirmed, of which 17 were linked to foreign travel. No new fatalities were recorded. China reported that 27 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on Friday, of which 17 were linked to foreign travel. No new fatalities were recorded.