Daily COVID Tracker: Infections surge as NCDC logs 558 cases — and two deaths

Nigeria on Thursday recorded 558 cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Friday. 

Biden announces vaccination requirement for federal workers

Joe Biden, US president, says all federal workers will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or face regular testing, social distancing, mask requirements and travel limits.

“Every federal government employee will be asked to attest to their vaccination status; anyone who does not attest or is not vaccinated will be required to mask no matter where they work, test one or two times a week to see if they have acquired COVID, socially distance and generally will not be allowed to travel for work,” Biden said on Thursday.

According to the White House, the requirement is not mandatory and those who choose not to get vaccinated will not face the risk of being sacked.

Israel to offer COVID third dose to people over 60 years

Israel says it will start administering a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to people who are over 60 years and have already been vaccinated.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced this on Thursday.

“I’m announcing this evening the beginning of the campaign to receive the booster vaccine, the third vaccine,” Bennett said.

“Reality proves the vaccines are safe. Reality also proves the vaccines protect from severe morbidity and death. And like the flu vaccine that needs to be renewed from time to time, it is the same in this case.”

Tokyo Olympics records 27 COVID-19 cases

The Tokyo Olympic organising committee on Friday reported 27 cases of COVID-19 linked with the games.

The number is the highest single-day figure and surpasses the 24 cases recorded on Thursday.

The total number of infections now recorded by the organising committee since July 1 now stands at 220.

Pakistan asks staff to provide proof of vaccination or face limited access

Pakistan has announced plans to ban staff from entering public offices, schools, restaurants, transport and shopping malls without COVID vaccination certificates.

Asad Umar, head of National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), a military-run body that oversees the pandemic response, said the move will protect staff and curtail transmission of the virus.

Nigeria records 558 infections

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 558 COVID infections were recorded on Thursday.

The figure is 4.3 percent higher than the 535 cases reported on Wednesday.

According to the agency, the cases were reported in 15 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

Lagos reported the highest number of infections on Thursday with 376 cases followed by Oyo with 33 infections and
Akwa Ibom with 26.

Other states are FCT (22), Imo (15), Bayelsa (13), Ekiti (13), Kano (12), Ogun (11), Plateau (11), Delta (9), Jigawa (6),
Rivers (4), Zamfara (4), Edo (2) and Ebonyi (1).

The NCDC said 44 persons were discharged after recovering from the infection, while two persons died of the virus.

So far, 178,821 cases have been confirmed with 164,930 recoveries across the 36 states and the FCT.

The country’s death toll stands at 2,141.