Pope Francis, on Friday, issued a special video message calling on people around the world not to lose faith and to comfort each other through the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“It is a hard moment for all of us. For many, very hard. The Pope knows it, and through these words, he wants to express his closeness and affection to everyone,” he said, speaking in Italian.
He urged people “to make the best use of this time” by being “generous” and helping those in need, even by reaching out to the loneliest “via phone or social media”.
“Even if we are isolated, thought and spirit can go far with the creativity of love,” Francis, the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics, said.
He mentioned the elderly, the homeless, prisoners, bereaved families, those worried about losing their jobs and the “heroes” working in hospitals or providing essential services to societies.
The Pope, who is 83, no longer appears in public due to the pandemic, and will lead Easter celebrations next week with no congregation – something unprecedented in modern times.
“We will celebrate Holy Week in a truly unusual way,” he said.
Easter, the most important Christian holiday, marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And faith “in the risen Jesus” should give people hope, the pontiff said.
“It is the hope for better times, in which we can be better ourselves, finally freed from evil and from this pandemic.
“It is a hope: hope does not disappoint, it is not an illusion,” Francis said.
Meanwhile, Sergio Rossi, one of the most famous Italian shoe designers, has died of the coronavirus disease, an Italian official said on Friday.
Several Italian media reported that Rossi, who was born in 1935, died on Thursday in a hospital in Cesena in the northern Emilia-Romagna region.
Luciana Garbuglia, the Mayor of San Mauro Pascoli, confirmed the death and its link to the novel COVID-19.
San Mauro Pascoli is Rossi’s birthplace in Emilia-Romagna.
The Sergio Rossi Company was founded in 1951 and gained fame in the 1960s.
Its shoes featured in the Italian film classic “La Dolce Vita”, as worn by lead actress Anita Ekberg.
The company was sold to Gucci in 1999 and later became part of the French PPR-Kering luxury group, and returned under Italian hands in 2015 with the Invest-industrial private equity fund.
The luxury shoemaker had recently donated 100,000 euros ($108,000) for a hospital in Milan, treating novel coronavirus patients.
In Nigeria, the Federal Government, on Friday, directed all its missions abroad to compile lists of willing nationals who requested to return home to Nigeria.
This was sequel to the request by Nigerians stranded abroad in the wake of the Corona virus pandemic.
Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigeria in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), made the disclosure in a statement signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head, Media and Public Relations Unit of the commission in Abuja.
According to Dabiri-Erewa, the interested Nigerians are advised to inform the missions in the various countries they are in, who will then collate and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She, however, said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had instructed that the financial implications would be borne by the prospective evacuees, who will be compulsorily quarantined when they returned.
The NIDCOM chairman urged Nigerians stranded abroad willing to return home to key into this Federal Government gesture by providing their information to the mission in their respective host countries.
She said that while embassies in several countries were also on lockdown, those interested could also go online and fill a form provided on the commission’s website: Form101 – Nigerians in Diaspora Commission
Other platforms to be reached are: *Emails* [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and *Twitter handle* @nidcom_gov.
She also urged them to also use the *website* www.nidcom_gov.ng.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Government has announced the first confirmed case of the deadly Covid-19 virus in the state.
Mr Donald Ojogo, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, in a statement on Friday in Akure, explained that a suspected case tested positive to the virus.
“It is with great concern that the Ondo State Government announces the first index case. A suspected case tested positive to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We thank God for his protection thus far. Ours has been a case of anxiety while we enjoyed a COVID-19 free state status.
“This development has, however, repudiated that enviable status even as we urge all to be vigilant and keep ourselves within the princints of measures put in place,” he said.
He said the index case was an army officer who had returned from India about a week ago and had voluntarily isolated himself.
The commissioner said that during the period of self isolation, he was monitored by the State Inter-Ministerial Committee in collaboration with the NCDC and necessary tests were carried out which resulted in the current confirmation.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has lauded Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) for ferrying petroleum products across the nook and cranny of the country at the critical moment.
The Corporation gave the commendation in a statement by its spokesman, Dr kennie Obatero, in Abuja, on Friday.
He said that the tanker drivers’ selfless service during the lockdown had ensured smooth distribution of petroleum products during the restriction period occasioned by Coronavirus pandemic.
He quoted the Managing Director of the NNPC Retail Ltd., Mr Billy Okoye, as saying that NNPC Retail Ltd’s filling stations, numbering more than 600 across the country, were to remain operational throughout the period of the lockdown to meet the energy needs of Nigerians.
Okoye disclosed that all NNPC Retail outlets were wet with sufficient petroleum products, ready to serve the public.
He explained that the company’s retail outlets were stocked with sufficient petroleum products, with Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) depots holding its products in various states of the federation.
The MD added that NNPC Retail Ltd’s products were daily being trucked to stations strategically located across Nigeria, urging consumers not to engage in panic buying.
“Our major responsibility is to ensure that there is fuel supply in our stations.
“We have enough products at all our storage tanks and at our depots; we also have a large quantity of products in transit to our stations. Nigerians don’t need to panic,” Okoye reassured.
He further thanked the various state governors for allowing petroleum tankers to crisscross their states despite the movement restriction order.
He also commended the security agencies, Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and all other service providers in the downstream value chain for their support.
Okoye further commended Nigerians for their understanding during this period, assuring that the NNPC Retail stations would remain open to avoid any shock in the supply and distribution of petroleum products across the Country.
He thanked the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Malam Mele Kyari, for the strategic leadership he had provided during the challenging times, adding that stakeholders in the downstream sector are ready to collaborate to ensure Nigeria is wet with petroleum products at all times.
Meanwhile, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, on Friday, suspended business activities at the state capital’s two major markets; the International and Kpirikpiri markets.
The directive was contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Uchenna Orji.
”Both markets will not operate on Sundays till the battle against coronavirus is won,” Umahi said.
He stated that the suspension was for the good of the citizens and to protect them from the scourge of the pandemic.
“This measure is to allow health workers fumigate the markets every Sunday against the incursions of the dangerous disease.
“All markets operators are to note and ensure compliance,” the governor said.
He further called for the cooperation of all concerned on the issue, assuring the people of safety, security and promotion of public health.
