TheCable

Nigeria on Wednesday recorded 637 cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Thursday. 

Tokyo Paralympics records first COVID-19 hospitalisation

A participant from overseas linked with the Tokyo Paralympic Games has been hospitalised after testing positive for COVID-19.

The Games organising committee disclosed this on Thursday.

According to Kyodo News, the case is the first hospitalisation of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, which opened on Tuesday.

Masanori Takaya, the committee spokesperson, said the patient is not displaying severe symptoms.

“We cannot reduce the risks to zero, but we can minimize the risks to deliver a safe and secure game. We are responding in the most proper way to the positive cases,” Takaya said.

US vice-president donates one million COVID vaccine doses to Vietnam

US Vice-President Kamala Harris says her country will provide an additional one million coronavirus vaccine doses to Vietnam to help it fight the pandemic.

Harris said this on Wednesday when she paid President Nguyen Xuan Phuc a visit in Hanoi, the Vietnam capital.

The US had already donated about five million doses of COVID vaccine to Vietnam.

The vice-president added that the defence department will provide 77 ultra-low temperature vaccine freezers to assist vaccination distribution efforts in all 63 of Vietnam’s provinces.

NSSF partners Global Citizen to tackle COVID vaccine inequity

The Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF) has partnered Global Citizen Nigeria to call on world leaders, corporate organisations and all stakeholders to tackle COVID-19 vaccine inequity.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, vice-chairman of Global Citizen Nigeria, said the advocacy will take place at a live event on six continents.

“The fund set its strategic priority for 2021/2022 to ensure that one million Nigerians are vaccinated against COVID-19,” Aig-Imoukhuede said.

“The fund is, therefore, proudly partnering with Global Citizen to amplify this call on global organisations and world leaders to address the issues of equitable distribution of vaccine and education about Covid-19 with the urgency it deserves.”

Nigeria records 637 cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Wednesday recorded 637 cases of coronavirus in 18 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The NCDC said Lagos, the worst-hit state, reported 322 cases, followed by Rivers with 70 infections and Edo with 54 cases.

Other states that reported fresh cases are Delta (34), Akwa Ibom (31), Kwara (31), FCT (29), Ekiti (17), Ogun (14), Osun (10), Kebbi (8), Cross River (5), Plateau (3), Taraba (3), Kaduna (2), Bayelsa (2), Benue (1), Enugu (1) and Kano (1).

The NCDC said 347 patients were discharged after they recovered, while seven people died of COVID complications.

So far, 188,880 cases have been confirmed, 169,382 recoveries have been made while 2,288 fatalities have been recorded across the 36 and the FCT.

Moderna withholds 1.63 m COVID vaccine doses over contamination

Moderna says it withheld the supply of about 1.63 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Japan after a report of contamination.

Foreign materials were reportedly found in some portions of the doses and its use was suspended as a precaution.

“Moderna confirms having been notified of cases of particulate matter being seen in drug product vials of its COVID-19 vaccine,” Moderna said in a statement.

COVID-19 IN NIGERIA