Daily COVID Tracker: Infections ebb as NCDC logs two cases

Nigeria on Friday recorded two COVID cases. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Saturday.

Japan COVID adviser: No need to stop social activities due to Omicron

Shigeru Omi, Japan’s top COVID-19 adviser, says there is no need to suspend social activities because the symptoms of the currently dominating Omicron variant are less severe than prior strains.

Omi’s new approach is a significant departure from his earlier posture, which focused on stringent measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“We probably no longer need an option like fully stopping social activities. It’s hard to gain public understanding and cooperation if we continue to focus on measures just to reduce the number of infected people,” Omi said.

South Korea to lift most COVID rules

South Korea says it will suspend most COVID-19 social distancing rules on Monday but not the requirement to wear masks.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said restaurants, coffee shops, and other indoor enterprises would no longer have a 10-person limit on private social gatherings, and a midnight curfew would be lifted.

“The Omicron has shown signs of weakening significantly after peaking in the third week of March. As the virus situation is stabilised and capabilities of our medical system are confirmed, the government [has] decided to boldly lift social distancing measures,” Kim said.

Nigeria records two COVID infections 

Nigeria has recorded two new COVID cases.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), in its update for April 15, 2021, said the two infections were logged in Delta and Rivers, respectively.

Five persons were discharged after they recovered from the infection.

The NCDC data showed no death recorded, leaving the COVID fatality at 3,143.

The agency said the report includes data for April 14 and 15.

Nigeria now has a total of 255,648 infections and 249,847 recoveries.

More Chinese cities impose COVID restriction 

More Chinese cities have imposed restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID cases.

On Friday, the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone, a central Chinese manufacturing area where Apple Inc supplier Foxconn is located, issued a 14-day lockdown.

Shanghai, which is under lockdown, has seen a rise in infections.

Following a spike in COVID-19 infections, the city of Xian in northwestern China has asked citizens to avoid needless visits outside their residential compounds and encouraged businesses to have staff work from home.

UK approves Moderna’s Spikevax COVID vaccine for use

The United Kingdom has approved the use of the Spikevax, Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children between six and 11 years.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says the vaccine was approved after meeting the required safety, quality and effectiveness standards.