TheNewsGuru

Tag: COVID-19

  • Nigeria records 754 additional COVID-19 infections – NCDC

    Nigeria records 754 additional COVID-19 infections – NCDC

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said 754 additional COVID-19 infections were recorded on Thursday across 11 states of the federation and the FCT.

    The NCDC stated this on its verified website on Friday morning, adding that the country recorded one fatality on Thursday.

    It said the 754 cases of COVID-19 on Thursday indicated an increase from the 268 reported on Wednesday.

    The NCDC added that the infection toll had increased to 215,918, while the fatality toll from the disease stood at 2,981, as of Thursday.

    The public health institute said 4,662 people were currently down with illness from the virus, while 207,619 people had been treated and discharged.

    The agency added that Lagos State, the country’s epicentre of the virus, reported more than half of the new cases.

    The NCDC said a backlog of 595 confirmed cases for Dec. 8, (294), and Dec. 9 (301), 2021 were from Lagos.

    Amongst others, the FCT recorded (68), Imo (49), Edo (13), Oyo (9), Delta (5), Katsina (4), Kano (3), Plateau (3), Ekiti (2), Gombe (2) and Rivers (1).

    It said the country had conducted a total of 3,629,527 sample tests since the virus was announced on Feb. 27, 2020.

    It added that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 2, continued to coordinate the national response activities. (

  • Reality TV star Maria, tests positive for COVID-19

    Reality TV star Maria, tests positive for COVID-19

    Former Big Brother Naija Shine Ya Eye housemate, Maria Chike, on Wednesday said that she has been tested positive for COVID-19.

    The light skinned reality TV star made this announcement via her Instagram page where she also appreciated her fans for showing concern about her well-being.

    Taking to her Instagram stories, Maria wrote, “My heartbeats, I heard you were all concerned about me. Thank you so much for all your kind messages. Unfortunately, I have tested positive to COVID-19 but I can reassure you, I am doing really well.”

    Maria also revealed the troubles she had during the tests, as the earlier results conflicted.

    “I initially had a negative result from Dubai less than 24 hours of coming into Ghana. Upon arrival in Ghana, I tested positive and was asked to quarantine. I got a different doctor that tested me negative again. We had so many back and forth results of positives and negatives. But finally, I have tested positive,” Maria said.

    Advising her fans to take the virus seriously, she also assured them that she had been placed in the best possible care.

    She said, “Please, do not take COVID-19 for granted, and don’t try to be as stubborn as myself always. I have been placed in the best possible care and receiving treatment. I will be in Ghana until I am fully recovered and tested negative. I love you all and cannot wait to get back to work.”

     

  • FG confesses: Why we accept donation of expiring COVID-19 vaccines

    FG confesses: Why we accept donation of expiring COVID-19 vaccines

    The federal government of Nigeria has explained why the nation accepted Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines with expiring shelf lives from donor countries.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the explanation is contained in a statement released by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire on Wednesday.

    According to the statement, Nigeria has utilized most of the short-shelf-life doses of Covid-19 vaccines so far donated, stressing that the donations saved the country N16.4 billion.

    Dr Ehanire also stated that the vaccines that expired before usage had been withdrawn, and that they will be destroyed accordingly by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    The Minister of Health, however, noted in the statement that the nation now politely declines all vaccine donations with short shelf life or those that cannot be delivered in time.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Federal Ministry of Health has been drawn to reports circulating in the media to the effect that some Covid-19 vaccines had expired in Nigeria.

    “This Press statement is to properly brief the public and set records right.

    “Nigeria has, of late enjoyed the generosity of several, mainly European countries, who have offered us doses of Covid-19 vaccines out of their stock piles, free of charge, through COVAX or AVAT facility. These donations are always acknowledged and thankfully received: however, some of them had residual shelf lives of only few months that left us very short time, some just weeks, to use them, after deduction of time to transport, clear, distribute and deliver to users. If such vaccines arrive back-to-back or are many, logistic bottlenecks occasionally arise.

    “We appreciate the kind gesture of donors, but also communicated the chal lenge of short shelf lives, whereupon some manufacturers offered to extend the vaccine shelf life after the fact, by 3 months, a practice that, though accept ed by experts, is declined by the Federal Ministry of Health, because it is not accommodated in our standards. Nigeria does not dispense vaccines with a validity extended beyond labelled expiry date. We continue to adhere to our rigorous standards.

    “Donation of surplus Covid-19 vaccines with expiring shelf lives to Developing Countries has been a matter of international discussion.

    “Developing countries like Nigeria accept them because they close our critical vaccine supply gaps and, being free, save us scarce foreign exchange procure ment cost. This dilemma is not typical to Nigeria, but a situation in which many Low- and medium-income countries find themselves.

    “Donors also recognize a need to give away unused vaccines, before they expire in their own stock, but they need to begin the process early enough and create a well-oiled pathway for prompt shipment and distribution through the COVAX and AVAT facilities, to reduce risk of expiration. With better coordination, vaccines need not expire in the stock of Donors or Recipients.

    “Nigeria has utilized most of the over 10m short-shelf-life doses of Covid-19 vaccines so far supplied to us, in good time, and saved N16.4B or more than $40m in foreign exchange. The vaccines that expired had been withdrawn before then, and will be destroyed accordingly, by NAFDAC

    “The Ministry of Health shares its experience with partners regularly and now politely declines all vaccine donations with short shelf life or those that cannot be delivered in time.

    “The long term measure to prevent such incident is for Nigeria to produce its own vaccines, so that vaccines produced have at least 12 months to expiration. This is why the Federal Ministry of Health is collaborating with stakeholders to fast-track establishment of indigenous vaccine manufacturing capacity. This is a goal we are pursuing with dedication”.

  • COVID-19: FG releases new guidelines for travellers coming into Nigeria

    COVID-19: FG releases new guidelines for travellers coming into Nigeria

    The federal government of Nigeria has released updated Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) guidelines for travellers coming into the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the updated guidelines were released by the presidential steering committee on COVID-19 under the office of the Secretary to the Government.

    With the updated guidelines, airlines shall be fined USD 3,500 per traveller for failure to comply with any of the preboarding requirements.

    See details of the updated guidelines below:

    I. GUIDELINES FOR IN-BOUND PASSENGERS

    A. PRE-DEPARTURE FROM COUNTRY OF EXIT:

    I. Pre-Boarding:

    STEP 1 – Travelers MUST perform a COVID-19 PCR test not more than 2 days (48 hours) before boarding/departure. PCR tests done more than 48 hours before departure are not valid and persons will not be allowed to board. Rapid antigen or antibody test are not acceptable; only PCR tests can be used for this purpose. Test validity commences from the time of sample collection. For Travelers with multiple connections before arrival in Nigeria, the PCR test must be valid within 48 hours of boarding from the first point of departure. Travelers must bring along an electronic or hard copy of their negative COVID19 PCR test for presentation at the departure airport and upon arrival in Nigeria. A record of their vaccination status will also be required on arrival in Nigeria.

    STEP 2 – All intending Travelers (including diplomats and children less than 10 years old) MUST register via an online national travel portal (Nigeria International Travel Portal – https://nitp.ncdc.gov.ng) and proceed to fill in the online Health Declaration/ Self-Reporting form located on the portal. They should ensure that the information/contact details provided on the form are correct and verifiable. Travelers must provide valid phone numbers, residential addresses, and functional e-mails where they can be contacted. Travelers must also inform Port Health officials on arrival of any change in their health status since completion of the Health Declaration/Self-Reporting Form.

    STEP 3 – After filling the online Health Declaration/Self-Reporting Form, Travelers will be directed to upload their negative COVID-19 PCR test on to the portal. Only children less than 10 years old are exempted from uploading a pre-arrival negative COVID-19 PCR test result. Once this is successfully done, Travelers will proceed to the payment section of the travel portal. Only Children less than 10 years are exempted from payment for the repeat test in Nigeria. Travelers are advised to still bring along an electronic or hard copy of their negative COVID-19 PCR test for presentation at the airport.

    STEP 4 – For partially vaccinated and unvaccinated Travelers:

    On reaching the payment section of the portal, Travelers will be requested to select their preferred Laboratory/Sample Collection Centre based on where they will be self-isolating for the period of 7-days in Nigeria. A list of accredited private laboratory providers/Sample Collection Centres across the country are available on the payment platform. The next stage is to choose a bank payment gateway and then proceed to pay for the Day 2 (arrival day + 1 day) and Day 7 (arrival day + 6 days) in-country COVID19 PCR tests. Please note that Travelers paying in Naira should use cards issued by a Nigerian bank.

    For fully vaccinated Travelers: On reaching the payment section of the portal, Travelers will be requested to select their preferred Laboratory/Sample Collection Centre based on where they will be located 2 days after arrival in the country for the Day 2 test (arrival day + 1 day). A list of accredited private laboratory providers/Sample Collection Centres across the country are available on the payment platform. The next stage is to choose a bank payment gateway and then proceed to pay for the Day 2 in-country COVID-19 PCR test. A record of their vaccination status will also be required on arrival in Nigeria.

    STEP 5 – Following successful payment, Travelers should download the Permit to Travel Certificate/ QR Code using the “Get Permit to Travel” button visible at the top right corner of the portal, save and print the form for presentation at the point of boarding. The Permit to Travel Certificate/ QR code will have a “PAID” label if payment is successful and “UNPAID” label if payment had not gone through yet or is unsuccessful. Any passenger with an “UNPAID’ label will not be allowed to travel. A copy of the Permit to Travel Certificate/QR Code will also be sent to the email address provided by the traveller.

    II. Boarding

    1. Prior to boarding for Nigeria, Travelers MUST present TWO documents at their point of departure to be allowed to board.

    a. A negative COVID-19 PCR test done within 2 days (48 hours) of departure. Airlines have been directed not to board Travelers with non-PCR COVID-19 tests (such as antigen or antibody tests), a positive COVID-19 PCR test result, or tests performed beyond 48 hours of boarding; and

    b. Permit to Travel Certificate/QR Code – generated from the Nigeria International Travel Portal on completion of a health questionnaire, uploading of a negative COVID-19 PCR result and schedule of PCR tests on Days 2 and 7 on arrival in Nigeria. Travelers failing to show a Permit to Travel Certificate/QR Code will not be allowed to board.

    2. Airlines that board Travelers without any of the required documents (a negative COVID-19 PCR test done not more than 48 hours prior to boarding and a Permit to Travel Certificate/QR code, shall be sanctioned as follows:

    a. Travelers, who are non-Nigerians, will be refused entry and returned to the point of embarkation at cost to the airline

    b. Travelers who are Nigerians or holders of permanent resident permit will be allowed entry but subjected to the procedure outlined in Section D below. In addition, Travelers arriving with forged (fake) COVID-19 PCR results will be escorted to a designated quarantine facility (government approved hotel) for a mandatory quarantine for a period of 7 days at expense to the traveller and will be prosecuted.

    c. Airlines shall be fined USD 3,500 per traveller for failure to comply with any of the preboarding requirements.

    d. Airlines who consistently fail to comply with the above requirements may be banned from coming to Nigeria.

    3. At the time of boarding, Travelers will be required to undergo temperature screening and asked about COVID-19 symptoms. Travelers with temperature >38C and other COVID-19 related signs and symptoms shall not be allowed to board the flight.

    B. ON ARRIVAL IN NIGERIA

    All Travelers are required to strictly adhere to instructions given by Port Health Services at the arrival terminal. Travelers who fails to adhere to instructions will be sanctioned by relevant security personnel.

    All Travelers arriving in Nigeria will be required to:

    1. Go through the routine Port Health screening and present electronic or print-out evidence of preboarding COVID-19 PCR test, Permit to Travel Certificate/ QR Code; and Vaccination Certificate (where applicable); and

    2. Present their international passports for clearance through the Nigerian Immigration Service System’s Migrants Identification Data Analysis System (MIDAS).

    For partially vaccinated and unvaccinated in-bound Travelers:

    i. Proceed on mandatory 7 days self-isolation/quarantine in their selected in-country destination address. Travelers are to avoid physical interaction with friends, family members, colleagues, and other members of the public during the period of self-isolation. Travelers should check their emails/text messages regularly for updates regarding the arrangement for their repeat COVID-19 PCR test from the laboratory of their choice. During this period the traveller may be contacted by the COVID-19 Response team to ascertain state of selfisolation, Days 2 & 7 testing appointment and health status

    ii. Show-up at the laboratory/sample collection centres on the 2nd and 7th day of arrival. Samples will be taken, and a COVID-19 PCR test done. The selected private laboratory will send a reminder text message, email, or phone call to the traveller a day before the appointment date.

    iii. Persons who test negative for COVID-19 after 7 days of self-isolation/quarantine will be allowed to exit self-isolation on receipt of their result.

    For fully vaccinated in-bound Travelers:

    Show-up at the laboratory/sample collection centres on the 2nd day of arrival. Samples will be taken, and a COVID-19 PCR test done. The selected private laboratory will send a reminder text message, email, or phone call to the traveller a day before the appointment date

    C. NOTE:

    a. Travelers who fails to show up at the sample collection centres on Days – 2 and 7 of arrival (as applicable) will be sent text reminders and their details forwarded to the State Public Health Department teams and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for active follow-up.

    b. Travelers who fails to show up for testing will have travel restrictions placed on their passports for at least 6 months and will not be able to travel abroad during this period. Non-Nigerian passport holders will have their visas revoked and will be deported from the country.

    c. Test results will be provided within 24 hours and the State Public Health Departments & NCDC will be informed; accordingly, if test result is not received after 24hrs, the traveller may contact the private Laboratory for his/her test result.

    d. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated persons who test negative for COVID-19 after 7 days shall end self-isolation on receipt of a negative test result but must continue to self-monitor for symptoms until Day 14; and MUST continue to observe Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention measures (e.g., wearing face mask, maintaining social distance, regular washing of hands and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers);

    e. Fully vaccinated persons who test negative for COVID-19 after the post-arrival Day 2 test MUST continue to observe Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention measures (e.g., wearing face mask, maintaining social distance, regular washing of hands and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers);

    f. Travelers reporting or developing symptoms of COVID-19 on arrival in Nigeria, or during screening will not be allowed to self-isolate and will be placed in institutional quarantine; and

    g. Persons who test positive for COVID-19 after the post-arrival Days 2 and 7 test (as applicable) shall be managed based on national guidelines for COVID-19 treatment.

    D. PROCEDURE FOR TRAVELERS ARRIVING WITHOUT A VALID PCR RESULT

    Any traveller arriving in Nigeria without a valid COVID-19 PCR result (i.e., no COVID-19 PCR test result, a forged COVID-19 PCR test result or COVID-19 antigen or antibody test result) will be subjected to the following measures:

    1. If holding foreign passport and non-resident in Nigeria, the traveller will be denied entry into the country and returned to the point of embarkation at cost to the airline.

    2. For Nigerians and foreign passport holders with residency rights:

    a. Port Health Services will screen the traveller to include a temperature check and review of health questionnaire to establish infectivity risk;

    b. Traveller will be escorted by Port Health Services and security personnel to a designated quarantine facility (government approved hotel) for a mandatory quarantine for a period of 7 days at expense to the traveller;

    c. Traveller’s passport will be collected by relevant authorities and will not be released to him/her until after successful completion of mandatory quarantine period; and

    d. A COVID-19 PCR test will be conducted by a designated private laboratory within 24 hours of arrival at the quarantine facility at expense to the traveller. If the test result is Positive for COVID-19, the traveller will be transferred to an isolation facility and managed according to National treatment guidelines. If test result is negative, passenger will CONTINUE with mandatory isolation at the quarantine facility until a satisfactory Day-7 COVID-19 PCR test is done.

    II. GUIDELINES FOR OUTBOUND PASSENGERS

    All passengers travelling out of Nigeria are required to provide:

    a. Evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination, or

    b. A negative COVID-19 PCR test done no longer than 48 hours before departure.

    TNG reports the new protocol was signed by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who is also the Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.

    The protocol comes into effect from 12:01 am on Sunday, 5th December, 2021.

  • Nigeria confirms three more Omicron COVID-19 variant cases

    Nigeria confirms three more Omicron COVID-19 variant cases

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed three more cases of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19.

    This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant detected in Nigeria to six.

    Three cases had earlier been announced on December 1.

    According to the statement, all the Omicron cases so far were detected in persons with recent travel history to South Africa in November.

    “The NCDC through the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) continues to coordinate genomic surveillance activities across the country to sequence all positive COVID-19 samples from international travellers arriving in Nigeria,” the statement read.

    “This includes sequencing of positive samples from international travellers from October 2021 to date. The Delta variant remains the dominant variant and so far, we have not seen the replacement of this variant by the new Omicron variant as observed elsewhere.

    “The Omicron variant is a source of global concern because of its increased risk of transmissibility and its potential to escape protective immune responses induced by natural infection and/or vaccination.

    “Taken together, and if true, the Omicron variant can significantly change the current global COVID-19 epidemiology. There is currently no evidence of generalised or community transmission of this variant in Nigeria. However, the NCDC will continue coordinating and implementing genomic surveillance activities in-country to keep Nigerians reliably informed about existing variants, the Omicron and indeed other variants that may arise based on national data and emerging global evidence”.

    In line with Article 44 of the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR) reporting framework, the Federal Government through the NCDC says it has also been notified by the UK Government of seven cases of travellers from Nigeria with the Omicron variant.

    Consequently, the NCDC said with the increasing number of Omicron cases in the UK, it is now prioritising the sequencing of COVID-19 positive samples in travellers with a history of travel to the UK.

    “All viruses naturally mutate over time, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Since SARS-CoV-2 was first identified, several mutations have occurred with the emergence of new lineages.

    “This will continue to happen as long as the world does not act in concert to significantly reduce transmission through vaccination and adherence to effective public health measures such as mask use, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and ensuring good ventilation,” the statement read.

    The NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health, therefore, urged members of the public to continue to take personal and collective responsibility to ensure the safety of all Nigerians.

    It also reiterated that compliance with the travel protocols provided by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 (PSC-COVID-19) is mandatory for all international travellers arriving in Nigeria from any country.

    According to the agency, all incoming travellers should ensure their Day 2 and Day 7 tests are done as stipulated in Nigeria’s travel advisory “otherwise, there will be consequences for defaulters which may include publication of their details, suspension of their passports and ban on travel to Nigeria by the PSC-COVID-19”.

  • Senate wants UK to remove Nigeria from COVID-19 red list

    Senate wants UK to remove Nigeria from COVID-19 red list

    The Nigerian Senate has called on the British authorities to consider removing Nigeria from their Coronavirus (COVID-19) red list.

    The senate also condemned what it called the United Kingdom’s inclusion of Nigeria in the COVID-19 red list without justification.

    These were resolutions reached by the Senate at plenary on Tuesday, following the consideration of a motion on the “Need for Government of the United Kingdom to remove Nigeria from COVID-19 Red List”.

    The motion was sponsored by Sen. Ike Ekweremadu (PDP-Enugu West).

    It advised the UK government to be sensitive to the diplomatic relationship between both countries when taking decisions that affect Nigerian citizens.

    The senate also urged the Federal Government to engage the British authorities on reversing Nigeria’s inclusion on the list.

    It also called on the Buhari administration to remain firm in the enforcement of necessary protocols in the containment of every COVID-19 variant in Nigeria.

    It further called on major vaccine powers like: Britain, Canada, America, and the European Union, among others, to take urgent steps to ensure vaccine equity in the interest of the entire human race.

    Coming under Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, Ekweremadu noted with satisfaction the efforts of the Government of Nigeria in the containment and treatment of COVID-19 cases.

    He said, “Nigeria is among the countries with the lowest cases of COVID-19.

    “The decision by the British Government to include Nigeria in its COVID-19 list, with its concomitant implications, will affect many citizens of Nigeria, who had planned to spend their Christmas and New Year holiday with their families.

    “Also worried that Nigerians with genuine needs to visit the U.K within this period will be denied visas and those with visas will not be allowed to enter the U.K.”

    He noted that Nigerians had consistently complied with all the COVID-19 protocols required by the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.K Government for travelers prior to the ban.

    He emphasised that targeting African countries, especially in the COVID-19 travel ban, amounted to profiling and discrimination as well as an attack on Nigeria’s cordial diplomatic relationship with the U.K.

    Ekweremadu drew the attention of the senate to global concerns over vaccine hoarding and inequity and the resulting consequences on low-income nations in the fight against COVID-19.

    In his remarks, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said that the decision to include Nigeria on the UK COVID-19 red list posed a strain on the diplomatic relationship between both countries.

    He also decried the poor treatment of Nigeria by the UK government.

    Lawan, therefore, called on the British Parliament to intervene with a view to having Nigeria removed from the country’s COVID-19 red list.

    He said “Let there be justification for it. We are not saying that they can not put any country on the red list, including Nigeria, but there must be reasons for doing that.

    “And of course, Nigeria has done so well to the admiration of many countries in the area of containment of COVID-19.

    “Therefore, we don’t see any reason why Nigeria will be on that so called red list. I believe that Nigerians deserve better treatment from the British government.

    “I’m using this opportunity to ask the British Parliament to mount pressure on its government to remove Nigeria from the so called red list.”

  • Vaccine Inequality: Only 3.% of Nigerians vaccinated against COVID — FG

    Vaccine Inequality: Only 3.% of Nigerians vaccinated against COVID — FG

    The Federal Government says only about three per cent of Nigeria’s population has been vaccinated against COVID-19 largely due to poor access to the vaccine by developing countries.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this in Madrid, Spain at the 24th General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

    In a statement issued on the event, Mohammed warned that lack of vaccination by developing countries would provide a fertile ground for the COVID-19 virus to mutate, thus threatening the progress already recorded even in the developed countries.

    The statement was made available to the media by Mr Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant to the President (Media), Office of the Minister of Information and Culture.

    As contained in the statement, the minister was speaking against the background of the latest mutation (Omicron) of the COVID-19 virus, which had triggered a wave of travel bans on some countries in Africa.

    He said whereas most developed countries had already vaccinated 60 per cent and above of their population, most developing countries were currently below five per cent.

    “My country Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, has just vaccinated only about three per cent of our population,” he said.

    Mohammed noted that slow and delayed vaccination rollout in low and middle-income countries had left many of them vulnerable to COVID-19 variants, new surges of infection and slower rate of recovery.

    The minister said access to vaccines should be based on the principles grounded in the right of every human to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on basis of race, religion, political belief, economic or any other social condition.

    Mohammed noted that many developed countries had used the advantage of their enormous resources or relationship to sign agreements with manufacturers to supply their countries with vaccines ahead of making them available for use by other countries.

    ”Even before the clinical trials were completed, millions of doses of the most promising vaccines have been bought by Britain, U. S., Japan and the European block countries. Some of these countries bought doses five times the size of their population.

    “There are fears that these unilateral deals will deprive the poorest countries of access to these life-saving commodities,” he said.

    The minister said while developed countries had to increase their health care spending by less than one per cent to cover for the additional cost of vaccines, poor countries have to do that by about 60 per cent.

    He said booster doses would make COVID-19 vaccination a recurring expense, the cost of which would be unaffordable for many developing and poor nations.

  • No new COVID-19 death in Nigeria – NCDC

    No new COVID-19 death in Nigeria – NCDC

    Nigeria did not record a single COVID-19 death on Saturday.

    The country’s death toll to the pandemic still stands at 2,980.

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) stated on Sunday, however, that the country recorded 54 new infections in seven states and the FCT on Saturday.

    The 54 new infections recorded on Saturday indicate a decrease of 143 from the 197 cases recorded on Friday.

    The new infections were recorded in Lagos State (25), Oyo State (11), FCT (6), Kwara (3), Rivers (3), Bauchi (2), Delta (2), Kano State (1) and Ogun State (1).

    Ekiti, Gombe, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, and Sokoto States did not report any new infection.

    Total national infections now stand at 214,567.
    Out of the 214,567 total national infections, 207,427 cases have been treated and discharged from hospitals.

    The NCDC also stated that 3.6 million blood samples had been tested since the pandemic began.

  • COVID: NCDC announces 197 infections, 2 deaths as Omicron variant hits 38 countries

    COVID: NCDC announces 197 infections, 2 deaths as Omicron variant hits 38 countries

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced two additional fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic on Friday with 197 fresh cases reported across five states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The NCDC made the disclosure in its daily COVID-19 report on Saturday morning .

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 197 additional cases reported on Friday indicate an increase from the 47 cases reported in the country on Friday, Dec. 3.

    NAN reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that the omicron variant, now detected in 38 countries, appears to be more contagious than the COVID-19 delta variant.

    The organisation had said there was a suggestion of increased transmissibility adding that , “what we need to understand is if it’s more or less transmissible compared to delta.

    “Omicron has some 30 mutations on the spike protein, which is the mechanism used to bind to human cells.

    “Some of these mutations are associated with higher transmission and the ability to escape immune protection,” WHO had said.

    Meanwhile the Nigerian Public Health Institute said the country’s fatality toll from the disease now stood at 2,980.

    The NCDC added that till date, 214, 513 cases had been confirmed with 207,403 cases discharged and 2,980 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    “The 197 States- Lagos (138), Rivers (23), FCT (18), Imo (15), Bauchi (1), and Gombe (1),”It stated

    The Nigerian Public Health Institute said that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 2, continues to coordinate the national response activities.

    The agency added that a total of 3,580,510 blood samples have been tested since the pandemic began across the country.

    NAN recalls that since the reports of the emergence of this Omicron variant in the country , the Federal Ministry of Health through the NCDC, has intensified public health response measures to COVID-19 in the country.

    Meanwhile, South African scientists found that omicron is associated with a “substantial ability” to re-infect people who already had COVID-19 , compared with past variants of the virus.

    The study, published by the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, has not yet been peer reviewed.

  • 44 people die of COVID-19 in Akwa Ibom – Official

    44 people die of COVID-19 in Akwa Ibom – Official

    Dr Dominic Ukpong, the Special Adviser on Heath Matters to Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, said 44 people had so far died of COVID-19 in the state.

    Ukpong made the disclosure at the maiden Eket Christmas Festival on Friday.

    “It is official that 44 people died in Akwa Ibom since COVID-19 started on April 1, 2020.

    “We should not allow people to deceive us, COVID-19 is real.

    “In our state, the area which has the highest COVID-19 number was Uyo Local Government Area (LGA), followed by Eket LGA and Ikot Ekpene LGA,’’ he said.

    Ukpong added, “Just about three days ago, we have about five cases of COVID-19 again but we have not been able to confirm whether it is Omicron or not.’’

    The special adviser appealed to residents of Eket and its environs to continue to abide by the protocols to prevent the virus.

    Also speaking, Mr Frank Archibong, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, appealed to the people to maintain the peace during and after the carnival.

    “Let’s us try as much as possible to maintain peace, let us not give the event bad colouration,’’ Archibong said.

    Mr Akaniyene Tommy, the Chairman, Eket LGA, said the festival had been endorsed by reputable bodies, including the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria and Nigeria Tourism Development Cooperation.

    Tommy assured the people of safety during the festival as adequate security measure had been put in place to achieve that.