Italy urged tourists spooked by the new coronavirus Thursday not to stay away, but efforts to reassure the world it was managing the outbreak were overshadowed by a sharp rise in case numbers.

Lithuania confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus in a woman who returned from Italy, the government said on Friday. The 39-year-old, who returned from Verona on Monday and immediately went on sick leave, has been isolated in hospital in the Baltic state’s northern city of Siauliai and has mild symptoms. Her family members are being monitored.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has deployed its Rapid Response Teams to support the Lagos State Government, as Nigeria records its case of the Coronavirus. Director General of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, told News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja. The NCDC, he said, had also ”escalated the multi-sectoral coronavirus preparedness group to an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), at Level II to lead response activities”.

The Lagos State State Government has begun a search for all the contacts of the Italian who brought coronavirus to Nigeria. This was contained in a press statement by the Ministry of Health in Lagos State on Friday.

The Ministry of Health in Lagos State has confirmed its first case of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), incidentally the first in Nigeria and in West Africa since the outbreak in China in January 2020. This was contained in a statement released Friday morning by the state Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi.

Justice Bello Duwale of the Sokoto State High Court, Sokoto, has sentenced a fraudster, Bashar Umar Abdullahi (a.k.a Abdu Abdullahi and Bashir Abdullahi) to one year in jail without option of fine for stealing N15, 000.00 (Fifteen Thousand Naira) from his victim via a fraudulent transfer at an ATM gallery.

Donald Trump's impeachment trial at the senate is set to end next week Wednesday after the senators on Friday night, voted 51-49 against calling witnesses to testify in the ongoing impeachment trial. The witnesses are needed by Democrats to corroborate House of Reps allegations that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress by withholding military aid to Ukraine in exchange for investigations into his political rival, Joe Biden.

Reno Omokri this morning took to his twitter handle to share his thoughts on marriage. He is of the opinion that marriage does not complete anyone but rather compliments.

Nigeria and twelve other nations have been listed as high-risk African countries for coronavirus by the World Health Organisation.

Russians were on Friday January 31, advised by the country's consumer health watchdog to refrain from greeting each other with handshakes, kisses or hugs and to wear medical masks in crowded public places.

The US State Department on Friday night announced that it has put six new countries under its travel ban list. Under a proclamation signed Friday by President Trump, citizens from Eritrea, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan and Nigeria- Africa's most populous country, won’t be allowed to apply for visas to immigrate to the U.S.

French World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe brushed aside questions about his future at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday when he said “it’s not the time to make waves” over contract talks. The 21-year-old striker, long linked with a move to Real Madrid, insisted his mind was only on helping PSG defend their Ligue 1 title and chase an elusive Champions League triumph.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday  searched  two houses and an office of the embattled Senator Shehu Sani in Abuja. The action, it was gathered, was part of the ongoing probe of the former lawmaker for alleged extortion of $24,000 from the Chairman of ASD Motors, Alhaji Sani Dauda.

Pop superstar Justin Bieber announced Wednesday that he has Lyme disease. In a post on Instagram, Bieber said he will address his struggle with the illness, which is contracted through a tick bite, in a YouTube documentary.

The Ondo State Police Command said it had arrested a man identified as Nsem Godwin for allegedly kidnapping two kids in Okitipupa town, Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state. The suspect was arrested after he was caught with a nine-year-old and a four-month-old kids on Monday.