Daily COVID Tracker: NACA donates 72k test kits to NYSC, and 70% of EU adults vaccinated

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has donated 72,000 COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to support the 2021 batch B stream 2 orientation. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Wednesday. 

‘70 percent adults have been vaccinated in EU’

The European Commission says 70 percent of the European Union (EU) adult population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“70% of adults in EU are fully vaccinated. I want to thank the many people making this great achievement possible,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter.

In January, the Commission set a target that “by summer 2021, member states should have vaccinated a minimum of 70% of the adult population”.

Court restrains Obaseki from enforcing compulsory COVID vaccination in Edo

A federal high court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, has granted an order restraining Godwin Obaseki, Edo governor, and the state government from restricting unvaccinated persons from attending mass gatherings from September.

The governor, who launched the second phase of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination exercise last week, had said those who cannot show proof of taking at least one dose of the COVID vaccine may not be allowed to worship in mosques and churches, banks, event centres and other public places from mid-September.

Consequently, one Charles Osaretin filed a suit marked FHC/PH/FHR/266/2021 against the governor and five others through Echezona Etiaba, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), asking the court to order parties to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice; for the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental human rights, and for the leave of court to serve the respondents by publishing the court’s processes in a national daily newspaper.

Stephen Dalyop Pam, the judge, granted the orders as prayed.

NACA donates COVID RDT kits to NYSC

NACA has donated 72,000 COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits to the NYSC.

Adenike Adeyemi, NYSC director of press and public relations, said the kits were received from Gambo Aliyu, NACA director-general, to support the 2021 batch B stream 2 orientation.

“The NYSC commends NACA over the release of 72,000 COVID-19 RDT test kits towards the success of the forthcoming 2021 Batch ‘B’ Stream II orientation,” the statement reads.

“The NYSC is the only agency where all prospective corps members and other camp participants are tested for COVID-19 before entering the camps.

“Only those that test negative are allowed into the camps, while those that test positive are taken away by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and state health officials for treatment.”

Ireland to drop most COVID-19 restrictions in October

Ireland has announced plans to drop most of its COVID-19 restrictions in October after a successful vaccine rollout.

The country has one of Europe’s longest COVID-19 lockdowns.

From October 22, the requirement for vaccine certificates in public places including bars and restaurants will be dropped.

“Because of the effort of our vaccination team and because you have stepped up to the mark and taken the vaccine when it was offered, we are now entering a whole new phase of the pandemic,” Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Tuesday.

COVID third wave: Edo expresses concern over unvaccinated persons as death toll hits 12

Andrew Obi, Edo COVID-19 incident manager, says 12 deaths have been recorded since the beginning of the third wave of the pandemic in the state.

Obi disclosed this on Tuesday after the virtual meeting of the COVID-19 task force, chaired by Godwin Obaseki, Edo governor.

The incident manager said patients who have died as a result of COVID-19 in the third wave of the pandemic were not vaccinated against the virus.

He asked residents in the state to get vaccinated in order to be protected.