Amidst the emergence of the Delta variant of coronavirus infection in the country and the rising number of new cases,the Nigerian government has put six states of the federation on red alert, Oyogist.com reports.
The affected states, are Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and the nation’s capital, F
A statement issued early Sunday morning and signed by the chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, noted that the nation has, in the recent time, continued to witness “worrisome early signs of the third wave of the pandemic.”
The statement read, “Following the confirmation of the Delta variant of COVID-19 and the rising number of infections and hospitalisations in the country, the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 (PSC) has put six states and the Federal Capital Territory on red alert as part of the preventive measures against a third wave of the pandemic. The states are Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, and the FCT.
“The PSC, however, warns that all states of the federation should heighten their state of preparedness and continue to enforce all protocols put in place, given the renowned greater ease of spread of the Delta variant. These steps are critical as we begin to see worrisome early signs of increasing cases in Nigeria.
“The PSC shall continue to minimise the risk of importation of variants of concern into the country by strengthening surveillance at all Points of Entry, enforcing extant quarantine protocols and sustaining the current restrictive measures against travellers arriving from India, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa.
“The PSC felicitates with the Muslim Ummah on the occasion of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration. It, however, urges all state governments and religious leaders to be mindful of the potential for wider spread of the virus during large gatherings.”
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had on July 8 said it had detected a confirmed case with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, also known as lineage B.1.617.2 in a traveller to Nigeria, while following the routine travel test required of all international travellers and genomic sequencing at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory, Abuja.
The NCDC website, on Saturday, said, “On July 17, 123 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria. To date, 169,329 cases have been confirmed, 164,672 cases have been discharged and 2,126 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The 123 new cases are reported from eight states – Lagos (70), Akwa Ibom (18), Ogun (10), Oyo (8), Rivers (eight), Ekiti (four), FCT (four), Bayelsa (one).
A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre, activated at Level 2, continues to coordinate the national response activities.”The country has recorded a total of 169,329 confirmed cases and 2,126 deaths.
According to WHO Africa Regional Office, Africa has recorded 4,503,450 total cases and 106,282 deaths.
The World Health Organisation’s Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, during a virtual press briefing on July 1, said,
“The speed and scale of Africa’s third wave is like nothing we’ve seen before. The rampant spread of more contagious variants pushes the threat to Africa up to a whole new level.
“More transmission means more serious illness and more deaths so everyone must act now and boost prevention measures to stop an emergency becoming a tragedy.”
