Omicron Variant: FG To Issue New Travel Guideline

Following the index case of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in South Africa, the Federal Government has said it will on Tuesday issue new travel protocol in line with proactive measures against the new variant from Nigeria. The National Incident Manager of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Mr. Mukhtar Muhammad made the disclosure during a press briefing on Monday, saying the World Health Organization (WHO) has flagged the variant high risk, designating the Omicron as a “variant of concern”.

UK, Israel Ban Travel From Six African Countries Over New Covid-19 Variant

Several countries including the UK, Israel and Singapore have banned travelers coming from some Southern African from entering their countries over a new COVID-19 variant first identified in the region. On Thursday, the new variant, B.1.1. 529, with a very high number of mutations was discovered in South Africa. Confirming the discovery in a statement on Thursday, the country’s National Institute for communicable Diseases (NICD) said 22 positive cases of the new variant have so far been detected in the country. Israel, which recorded its first confirmed three cases of the B.1.1.529 on Friday, has also stopped entry from the six countries including South Africa, Botswana, Estiwatini, Namibia and Zimbabwe. It later added Mozambique to its list. It barred its citizens from travelling to southern Africa, and also required returning Israelis to quarantine.

Nigeria Records Worst Cholera Outbreak In Decades

Nigeria has recorded more than 90,000 cases and over 3,000 Cholera related deaths across 35 states in 2021 with individual states reporting at least 5 cases each. The vast majority of reported cases have been concentrated in Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina. Six (6) cholera treatment centres have been opened across the northern region so as to bring the outbreak under control. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in its latest epidemiological report released on Sunday stated that four deaths and 78 suspected cholera cases were reported in the country from November 1 to 7, 2021.

Nigeria Records 58 Fresh COVID-19 Cases, Zero Deaths

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said the country has recorded 58 fresh cases of COVID-19 infections on Saturday, thereby raising the total number of cases since the begining of the pandemic to 213,982. The public health agency noted zero deaths which keeps the total fatality toll at 2,975. NCDCD revealed that the 58 new cases were reported from nine states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

COVID-19: Nigeria Have Vaccinated More Than 5M Of Its Citizens – NPHCDA

The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) has yesterday disclosed that its agency has vaccinated about 5.8million Nigerians for the first dose of the pandemic coronavirus and still counting. The Kwara state coordinator for NPHCDA, Mrs. Debora Oladipo made this known yesterday in Ilorin during the mass COVID-19 vaccination in the state. According to Mrs. Oladipo, a total of 5,891,305 persons which amounts to about 5.3% of the Nigerian total population eligible for the vaccination have taken the first dose, while 3,252,067 that is 2.9% have taken the second dose and fully vaccinated.

NHS Wales Begin Campaign To Encourage Pregnant Women To Get Covid-19 Vaccine

NHS Wales have today began a public Health campaign to convince pregnant women to get the Coronavirus vaccine after research shows they are twice as likely to have a stillbirth. Pregnant women appear no more or less likely to contract the virus, but growing evidence shows that pregnant women with coronavirus are at a higher risk of severe illness and hospital admission compared to non-pregnant women with Coronavirus. Complications such as pre-eclampsia, pre-term birth and stillbirth are twice as likely in pregnant women with Coronavirus compared to pregnant women who don’t have Coronavirus. Risks increase in the third trimester and for women with underlying health conditions. Risks heightens in the third trimester and for women with underlying health conditions. Medical experts are pleading with women to get the vaccine, saying that there are no adverse effects to taking it. Dr. Christopher Johnson, Consultant Epidemiologist and Interim Head of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme for Public Health Wales, said: “Vaccines are safe and highly effective in preventing Coronavirus and reducing risks to pregnant women and their babies.