Health

Nigeria has recorded fresh 336 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with five deaths. This raised the total number of cases in the country since the pandemic began to 201,630. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) the latest positive samples were recorded in 16 states and the federal capital territory (FCT), Lagos maintained the highest number of 86 cases, followed by Benue-48, then Rivers with 48 and Bauchi-41. Other states that reported new positive samples to include Edo (25), FCT (19), Akwa Ibom (13), Ondo (12), Anambra (11), Ekiti (8), Kwara (7), Plateau (7), Bayelsa (4), Kaduna (4), Delta (2), Ogun (2) and Kano (1).

The Federal Government has informed that COVID-19 vaccination is now compulsory for pilgrims to the holy cities of Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem, and urged adherents of both Islam and Christianity to get vaccinated to avoid any delay or cancellation in the future as some countries have made vaccination a requirement to gain access to their countries.

Nigeria is currently treating and managing over 12, 000 people infected with the COVID-19 virus across the country, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said. About 636 new infections of COVID-19 and 11 death have been recorded on Friday, raising the fatality rate to 2,211 since the emergence of the pandemic in the country, while the total infection rate is now 181,297.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked Nigeria’s COVID-19 response as the fourth-best in the world. Dr. Walter Mulombo, WHO Country representative said this on Thursday while marking the arrival of the first batch of the 177,600 doses of the Johnson&Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in Abuja. The WHO official commended the government, adding that the joint effort of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC), Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) among others for the quick response of both treatment and vaccination exercise is impressive. Mulombo said “We are witnessing the symbolic arrival of 177,600 Johnson & Johnson vaccines, another landmark event in Nigeria’s response to COVID-19 pandemic; widely acclaimed by many as one of the most successful so far in the world. “Nigeria was ranked fourth among the top ten most successful responses to COVID-19.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has on Wednesday said an additional 610 new COVID-19 infection has been recorded, the second-highest daily infection in nearly six months. This brings Nigeria’s total confirmed infections to 179,118 with Lagos, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States leading the surge in infection rates.

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has threatened house officers in hospitals who join the strike action by the National Association of Resident Doctors. This was made known in a statement by the Council’s Registrar, Dr. T.A.B Sanusi, saying house officers who join Resident Doctors on strike will risk reposting without remuneration.