Daily COVID Tracker: Deaths surge as NCDC logs 12 fatalities, 296 infections

Nigeria on Monday recorded 296 COVID infections. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Tuesday. 

NPHCDA: 4.7m people have received first dose of COVID vaccine

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says as of September 26, a total of 4.7 million people have received the first dose of the COVID vaccine.

Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Faisal Shuaib, NPHCDA executive director, said out of the total number of people that have been vaccinated, 1.8 million have received the second jab.

Biden receives COVID booster shot

US President Joe Biden on Monday received the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot.

Biden aged 78, said his wife, Jill, will receive a booster soon, asking citizens to get vaccinated against the infection.

“Boosters are important, but the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated,” the president said.

FG: Passports of over 2,000 travellers suspended for violating COVID protocol

The federal government says it has suspended the passports of more than 2,000 in-bound travellers for violating the COVID protocol.

Mukhtar Mohammed, national incident manager of the presidential steering committee (PSC), disclosed this on Monday, at a media briefing held in Abuja.

According to Mohammed, surveillance systems have been improved at airports, seaports, and land borders, and travellers found to have violated the protocol have been “penalised”.

Nigeria records 296 COVID infections 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 296 cases of COVID-19.

The agency, in its update for September 27, said the cases were reported in 14 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

Rivers reported 63 cases, followed by Lagos with 49 infections, while the FCT logged 47 cases.

Other states that reported new infections include Osun (37), Edo (29), Plateau (18), Gombe (14), Nasarawa (12), Delta (10), Benue (5), Kano (5), Bayelsa (3), Oyo (2), Bauchi (1), and Ekiti (1)

The agency said the report includes 10 cases reported in Delta state for September 27.

The NCDC said seven deaths were reported in Delta state on August 18, 29, 30; September 6, 10 and 13 — one fatality on each day.

This includes 29 cases reported in Edo state on September 26 and 27 — 17 and 12 cases respectively. While three deaths were reported in the state on September 27, two infections, and September 26, one case.

The agency data showed that 323 persons were discharged on Monday, while 12 persons died of the infections.

So far, 204,752 infections, 192,943 recoveries and 2,689 fatalities have been recorded across the country.

EU evaluating data on Moderna COVID booster shot

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says it is evaluating whether a booster dose of Moderna COVID vaccine is necessary.

The EU drug regulator is also considering whether to endorse a booster for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Unlike the US which has approved a booster dose for some category of people, the EU is yet to make any decision.

“Although EMA and ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) do not consider the need for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to be urgent in the general population, EMA is evaluating the present application to ensure evidence is available to support further doses as necessary,” EMA said in a statement.