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Nigeria on Monday recorded 422 cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Tuesday. 

FG to begin phase two of COVID-19 vaccination August 16

The federal government says it will begin administering the second batch of COVID-19 vaccine doses on August 16.

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, made the announcement in a televised programme on Monday.

The federal government received over four million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States on August 1.

The presidential steering committee (PSC) had initially announced that vaccination would commence on August 10 but the federal government postponed it owing to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Speaking on the programme, the minister said the vaccination exercise will now begin on August 16, adding that the postponement was “purely administrative’’.

“We have received 4,80,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and we will commence administering the doses on Monday Aug. 16,” he said.

Nine COVID-19 patients die in Russia after oxygen malfunction

Nine COVID-19 patients reportedly died in a hospital in Vladikavkaz, a southern city of Russian, after an oxygen pipe burst and disrupted supply to an intensive care ward.

TASS news agency reported on Monday that 71 people were in intensive care but not all were (receiving) oxygen supply.

“There was a burst in the oxygen pipe from the reservoir, which is underground, and the oxygen supply was stopped,” Sergei Menyailo, acting head of the North Ossetia region, where Vladikavkaz is located, was quoted to have said.

The authorities have condemned the mishap and said they will investigate the incident.

Egypt takes delivery of first batch of J&J COVID vaccine

Egypt on Monday received its first batch of 261,600 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the health ministry, the shipment was delivered to the country in collaboration with the African Union (AU).

The J&J vaccine will be distributed to 126 vaccination centres for the vaccination of those who want to travel abroad.

Nigeria records 422 infections

Nigeria has recorded 422 new cases of COVID-19 in eight states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed this in its update for August 9.

According to the data provided by the agency, Lagos state recorded the highest number of cases with 190 new infections, followed by Rivers with 86 and Ogun with 85.

Other states that recorded fresh cases are Oyo (22), FCT (20), Kwara (7), Edo (5), Abia (4), and Bayelsa (3).

The NCDC said five persons died of the infection on Monday bringing the total number of fatalities to 2,192.

Also, 219 people were discharged on Monday after recovering from the infection.

To date, 178,508 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Nigeria with 165,982 recoveries made.

Switzerland approves Moderna COVID vaccine for 12 to 17-year-olds

Swissmedic, Switzerland medicine regulator, has approved the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for people between the age of 12 and 17.

The drug regulator made the announcement in a statement on Monday.

“Swissmedic has carefully examined the application from Moderna Switzerland GmbH for the indication extension and has extended the temporary authorisation for the Spikevax COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna for the prevention of the coronavirus disease in adolescents aged 12 to 17,” the statement reads.

COVID-19 IN NIGERIA