TheCable

Nigeria on Monday recorded 146 cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Tuesday. 

WHO DG to visit Japan during Olympics

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), is planning to visit Japan during the Tokyo Olympics, according to Kyodo news.

Ghebreyesus is expected to discuss anti-COVID-19 measures for the Olympics and Paralympics with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

The news outlet cited a government source as saying the meeting is expected to take place between Thursday and Saturday.

So far, at least 67 athletes including an Olympic volunteer have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Olympic village in Japan.

UK says only children with underlying health conditions will receive COVID shot

The United Kingdom (UK) says COVID-19 vaccines will not be offered to all children except those who have underlying health conditions.

Children are less likely to develop severe illness from COVID-19.

“We will be offering even more vulnerable people the protection that a vaccine brings and we will all be safer as a result,” Nadhim Zahawi, vaccine minister, was quoted to have said.

The decision is at variance with that of some countries including the US where children above 12 years are being vaccinated.

It also comes at a time when WHO is making stringent calls on countries to donate COVID vaccines to poor nations instead of vaccinating children.

US advises citizens not to travel to UK over rising COVID cases

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State Department have issued a “do not travel” warning against travelling to the UK following a surge in COVID-19 cases in that country.

“If you must travel to the United Kingdom, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel,” CDC said in an advisory.

The State Department said, “Do not travel to the United Kingdom due to COVID-19”.

Japan health panel approves Moderna COVID vaccine for adolescents

Japanese health ministry panel has approved Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for people ages 12 to 17.

The approval makes it the second shot available to adolescents in the country after the Pfizer vaccine.

The ministry of health, labour and welfare will announce when the vaccine will be provided free to the age group as part of the government nationwide vaccination programme.

Nigeria records 146 cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 146 cases of COVD-19 were recorded across the country on Monday.

According to the NCDC update for July 19, the cases were reported in five states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The states that reported the infections are Lagos (134), Ondo (3), Cross River (2), FCT (2), Kwara (2), Ogun (1), Oyo (1), Rivers and (1).

Eleven people were discharged on Monday, while one person died of COVID complications.

So far, 169,678 cases have been confirmed across the country, 164,710 have been discharged while 2,128 people have died of the infection.

COVID-19 IN NIGERIA