Daily COVID Tracker: NCDC logs 166 cases in 15 states — and two fatalities

Nigeria on Wednesday recorded 166 cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Thursday. 

COVID: Sanwo-Olu warns of ‘potential’ fourth wave in Lagos

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, says the state runs the risk of experiencing a fourth wave of the COVID pandemic.

The governor said this on Wednesday while flagging off a COVID mass vaccination programme in the state, with the target of vaccinating four million residents before the end of 2021.

Sanwo-Olu said the mass vaccination campaign is necessary to prevent the “catastrophic” events witnessed in the previous waves, considering that the state’s borders would be opened to all during the festive season.

Singapore investigates ‘unusual’ spike in COVID-19 cases

Singapore’s health ministry says it is investigating an “unusual surge” in infections after 5,324 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Wednesday — the highest since the beginning of the pandemic.

“The infection numbers are unusually high today, mostly due to many COVID-positive cases detected by the testing laboratories within a few hours in the afternoon,” the ministry of health said.

“MOH is looking into this unusual surge in cases within a relatively short window, and closely monitoring the trends for the next few days.”

UNICEF: Less than five percent of Africans fully vaccinated

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says less than five percent of the African population has been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

UNICEF expressed concern over vaccine inequity between high and low-income countries, particularly in Africa.

The agency said a new survey conducted by science analytics company, Airfinity, revealed that the G20 nations have received 15 times more COVID-19 vaccine doses per capita than countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

COVID: Minister cancels stakeholders’ meeting over overcrowding

Adeniyi Adebayo, minister of industry, trade and investment, on Wednesday, cancelled the stakeholders’ meeting for the National Moringa Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria over non-compliance with COVID-19 protocol.

According to NAN, the proposed meeting in Abuja was to set up a constitution drafting committee for the proposed association.

Kaura Irimiya, deputy director of the ministry, said the meeting was cancelled because the venue is not large enough to accommodate participants.

“We were not looking at this kind of number before and you know we have COVID-19 restrictions which only very few people are observing here. It is not conducive for any of us. In fact, none of us is safe here,” Irimiya said.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 166 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported across the country.

The agency, in its update for October 28, said the cases were reported in 15 states including the federal capital territory (FCT).

Delta state recorded the highest COVID cases with 36 infections, followed by FCT with 22 cases.

Other reported cases by states are Rivers (21), Lagos (20), Anambra (18), Ondo (17), Oyo (8), Kebbi (6), Enugu (5), Plateau (5), Ebonyi (3), Kano (2), Bayelsa (1), Ekiti (1) Jigawa (1).

NCDC said Wednesday’s report includes six and five cases reported from Kebbi and Enugu for October 26 respectively.

It also includes 20 recoveries reported from Enugu for October 26 and five discharged cases from Taraba for October 26.

The agency added that two deaths reported from Lagos are for October 26 and 27.

According to the agency’s data, 127 patients were discharged on Wednesday while two persons succumbed to the virus.

So far, 211,496 cases, 202,930 recoveries and 2,886 deaths have been reported across the country.