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Nigeria on Sunday recorded 407 cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Monday. 

Nigeria to partner EU to improve COVID-19 vaccine supply

Obinna Onowu, Nigerian ambassador to the European Union (EU), says the country will work with the EU to get more COVID-19 vaccines.

Onowu made the pledge when he presented his letter of credence to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission in Brussels.

According to a statement issued on Sunday, Onowu said Nigeria will also collaborate with the EU to strengthen its healthcare system.

COVID taskforce demands upscale of vaccine for poor countries

Therapeutics and Diagnostics for Developing Countries, a taskforce on COVID-19 vaccines, has asked vaccine manufacturers to speed up production for poor countries.

The taskforce made the demand in a statement issued on Saturday.

“We reiterate the urgency of providing access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments to people throughout the developing world,” the statement reads.

“In the area of vaccines, a key constraint is the acute and alarming shortage in the supply of doses to low and low-middle income countries, especially for the rest of 2021.

“We call on countries with advanced COVID-19 vaccination programs to release, as soon as possible, as much of their contracted vaccine doses and options as possible to COVAX, AVAT and low and low-middle income countries.”

Lagos warns residents on possible fourth COVID wave

Akin Abayomi, Lagos commissioner for health, has asked residents in the state to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocol.

Abayomi made the call on Sunday while giving updates on the state’s COVID-19 situation for July 30 and July 31.

He said there may be more COVID waves ahead, hence, the need to fight the transmission of the virus.

“I hereby appeal to everyone either in Lagos or neighbouring states that COVID-19 is not yet over,” he wrote on Facebook.

“We have quite a long way to go and we do not know how many more waves of infections are ahead.

“It is therefore important to continue to adhere to non-pharmaceutical interventions and build indigenous capacity to be less vulnerable, but be more resilient to deal with shocks.”

Nigeria records 407 cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 407 people tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday.

The latest positive samples of COVID-19 were recorded in 17 states, according to the agency’s update for August 1.

Lagos, the hardest-hit state by the pandemic in Nigeria, topped the COVID-19 infection chart with 160 new cases, 75 in Akwa Ibom, 51 in Ondo, and 33 in Abia.

Other states include Oyo (29), Kaduna (18), Katsina (7), Gombe (6), Ogun (6), Ekiti (5), Delta (4), FCT (4), Ebonyi (3), Edo (2), Niger (2), Bayelsa (1) and Nasarawa (1).

There were no fatalities on Sunday. The coronavirus death toll in the country still stands at 2,149.

The NCDC said 11 people were discharged on Sunday after recovering from the infection.

With the new figure, a total of 165,005 patients have so far recovered from COVID-19 in Nigeria.

A total of 174,315 coronavirus cases have now been confirmed across the country.

Tokyo Olympics records 17 COVID-19 cases

Seventeen people associated with the Tokyo Olympics have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Games organising committee disclosed this on Monday.

With the latest figure, a total of 276 cases have now been confirmed as compiled by the committee since July 1.

COVID-19 IN NIGERIA