Health

No 10 appears to confirm Nimco Ali’s Christmas lockdown stay with Johnsons

A close friend of Boris and Carrie Johnson did stay with the couple during the peak of the coronavirus lockdown last Christmas, Downing Street has in effect confirmed, while insisting that no Covid rules were broken.

It is understood that Nimco Ali, a campaigner and Home Office adviser who is godmother to the Johnsons’ son, Wilfred, was at Downing Street over the Christmas period as part of their childcare support bubble.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson declined to formally confirm that Ali was there. “As you might expect, I’m not going to get into speaking about individuals that the prime minister has seen over Christmas,” he said. “What I can say is that the prime minister and Mrs Johnson have followed the coronavirus rules at all times.”

However, the spokesperson did say that neither Boris Johnson’s mother – who died last month aged 79 – or Carrie Johnson’s mother were with the family over Christmas. Asked to confirm whether or not Ali was there, he did not respond.

“It is entirely accurate to say that they followed coronavirus rules at all times,” the spokesperson said, rejecting the argument that it was legitimate to seek clear answers on the arrangements given lockdown breaches by senior government figures such as Johnson’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings and the ex-health secretary Matt Hancock.

“I don’t accept that,” he said. “We have been very clear that throughout this pandemic the prime minister has expected all ministers to adhere to the guidelines. That is what the prime minister and Mrs Johnson have done, both at this time and throughout, and I’m happy to make that clear.”

Downing Street had also insisted that Cummings had not broken any lockdown rules, and when photographs emerged of Hancock kissing an aide in breach of regulations at the time, No 10 initially said the matter was “closed”.

Nonetheless, questions remain about which rules covered the presence of Ali, a prominent campaigner against female genital mutilation who has a two-days-a-month role advising the Home Office, which was seemingly not advertised.

An article in the magazine Harper’s, written by a senior editor of the Spectator, the magazine Johnson used to edit, which first reported Ali’s presence at Downing Street over Christmas, said she was there “despite pandemic restrictions on holiday gatherings”.

While the government did introduce a “Christmas bubble” allowing people to mix on Christmas Day, this was not in place in areas in the highest tier of restrictions, which included London at the time.

The rules said it was possible for people to use a childcare bubble on 25 December, even in areas under the highest tier, “but only if reasonably necessary for the purposes of childcare and where there are no reasonable alternatives”.

Johnson’s spokesman refused to say if or why such a childcare arrangement was necessary at the time.

Carrie Johnson’s mother, Josephine McAffee, was reportedly part of a support bubble with her daughter, an arrangement that was allowed if one member lived alone or if a household had a child aged under one, which Wilfred was last Christmas.

It was possible for households to have both a support bubble and childcare bubble, but the latter had strict rules and must be used only for childcare, not as a reason for people from different households to mix socially.

It is not clear whether the childcare bubble arrangement for Ali was longer-term or only in place for Christmas. Under the rules, childcare bubbles could change, but only if there was a reason connected to childcare logistics. If this happened, the family with the child had to stop using any childcare for at least 10 days before the bubble changed.

Ali has not commented beyond tweeting that she had received “two days of racist and disgusting tweets” after it was reported that she had breached lockdown rules when she had not.

Health

Akwa Ibom records five monkeypox cases

The Akwa Ibom State Government has raised the alarm over the increasing cases of monkeypox in the state, with five confirmed cases recorded so far.

The government has urged residents to be vigilant as the disease spreads across local government areas.

During an update on Friday, September 6, the state government revealed that out of 30 samples collected for diagnosis, five tested positive. The initial four confirmed cases included three males and one female, aged 2, 4, 12, and 41.

Samuel Etuk, the official in charge of disease surveillance and notification at the state Ministry of Health, confirmed the fifth case and noted that contact tracing efforts are underway while the affected individuals are in isolation.

Etuk provided details at a Media Review Meeting organized by Breakthrough Action Nigeria (BA-N) in collaboration with the State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (STBLCP).

He emphasized the importance of community involvement in monitoring the disease, with 10 informants engaged in each of the state’s 368 political wards to report cases to health authorities.

Etuk explained that Mpox can be transmitted from animals to humans (a zoonotic process), as well as through direct or indirect human contact. Transmission can occur through contact with urine, blood, faeces, skin lesions, and oral secretions.

Symptoms of Mpox typically appear after an incubation period of 5 to 21 days and include fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, back pain, rashes, and muscle pain. The rashes often start on the face and spread to other parts of the body.

To prevent further spread, residents are advised to avoid contact with sick animals or humans, maintain proper hygiene, and report any suspected cases to health authorities or the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Etuk reminded the public that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared Mpox a global public health emergency of international concern in August 2024, signaling the need for heightened awareness and preventive measures.

Health

FG to establish blood collection centres in 774 LGAs

The Federal Government has announced plans to establish Blood Collection Centres in all 774 local government areas, including the FCT, to ensure availability of blood during medical emergencies and transfusions.

Abdullahi Haruna, Head, Media and Publicity, National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

The statement quoted Prof. Saleh Yuguda, the Director-General, NBSA, as reiterating government’s commitment towards addressing blood shortages in the country as the initiative would save lives.

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“We are working tirelessly to ensure that blood needs are adequately addressed, and this initiative is a significant step towards achieving that goal.

“NBSA has partnered with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to establish a formidable blood bank at the Corp’s medical facility.

“This collaboration aims to mitigate blood shortages during medical emergencies and provide critical support to sister security agencies,” he said.

He explained that to kickstart the blood collection project, the FCT will host strategic blood collection facilities in easily accessible locations.

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“This move is expected to increase blood donation rates and ensure a steady supply of blood for medical purposes.

“The establishment of blood collection centers across Nigeria is a testament to the government’s commitment to improving the country’s healthcare system.

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“As the project rolls out, Nigerians should expect improved access to blood transfusions and better health outcomes,” he said.

The statement also disclosed that the Deputy Commandant Emeka Okeke of the NSCDC said: “this initiative will play a vital role in addressing blood shortages and saving lives.”

Health

WHO sets targets to end Mpox outbreaks in Africa

The World Health Organisation, WHO, has set a target of halting mpox outbreaks in Africa within the next six months.

This announcement came as the first vaccine shipments are expected to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, in the coming days.

Africa, particularly the DRC, with over 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths, has received only a fraction of the vaccines to combat the virus.

At a press briefing on Monday, September 2, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed confidence in ending the outbreaks, citing strong government leadership and collaborative partnerships.

In August, WHO declared mpox outbreaks a global emergency to spur a more robust international response even though a new strain of mpox known as clade1b, has been identified in many countries, including Burundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Kenya.

The potentially more contagious variant of the virus was detected in Congo in May, prompting heightened concerns among health officials.

WHO estimates that approximately 230,000 vaccines could soon be sent to Congo and other affected countries. The WHO is also implementing educational campaigns to inform people in outbreak areas about preventing the spread of the disease.

Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it aims to receive 380,000 vaccine doses from donors, including the US and the EU, which falls short of the quantity required to eradicate the outbreaks.