BY Samuel Akpan
Nigeria on Friday recorded 13 cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Saturday.
Delta COVID variant becoming globally dominant
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Delta, the highly contagious COVID-19 variant first identified in India, is becoming the dominant strain worldwide.
The variant is said to be 60 percent more transmissible than Alpha, the variant first identified in the UK.
“The Delta variant is well on its way to becoming the dominant variant globally because of its increased transmissibility,” Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist said.
COVID cases in Africa surged by 52 percent in one week
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says COVID-19 cases in Africa have surged by 52 percent in the past week.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, disclosed this in a media briefing on Friday.
The DG said deaths in Africa have also risen by 32 percent and that the situation is expected to worsen.
He said the failure to distribute vaccines equitably around the world has caused the virus to take its toll on poorer countries.
WHO had said Africa was currently experiencing the third wave of COVID-19 infection, adding that it is time to step up on vaccinations.
Nigeria records 13 COVID cases
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19.
The agency in its update for June 18, said the new cases were reported in three states.
The states that recorded new infections are Delta (9), Gombe (2), and Rivers (2).
According to NCDC data, five persons were discharged on Friday after recovering from the infection.
No death was recorded for the 14th day leaving the fatality toll at 2,117.
So far, 167,155 cases have been confirmed, 163,540 cases have been discharged in 36 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).
Uganda imposes COVID restrictions
President Yowreri Museveni of Uganda has imposed new COVID measures to curb the spread of infection as the country battles a second wave of the pandemic.
Uganda witnessed a surge in COVID cases after it recorded the presence of the Indian variant.
The new measures include a ban on public and private vehicles except for those transporting patients and those used by essential workers like health workers.
“The country has seen a more aggressive and sustained growth of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Museveni said on Friday.
“We are experiencing very high hospitalisation rates and deaths for COVID-19 patients among all age categories.”
Museveni said the measures will be in place for 42 days.
South Africa deploys army medics to COVID-hit areas
South Africa said it is deploying army medical personnel to COVID worst-hit areas to assist health workers to tackle the spike in infections.
South Africa is the epicentre of the pandemic on the continent and has slipped into a third COVID wave.
“We have requested additional capacity to assist Gauteng in terms of military help,” Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, acting health minister, said.
COVID-19 IN NIGERIA
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