Daily COVID Tracker: NCDC logs 36 cases in four states

Nigeria on Sunday recorded 36 cases of COVID-19 infections. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Monday. 

Another COVID vaccine booster needed now, says Pfizer

Pfizer says a second booster shot against COVID is needed “right now” because of waning immunity.

Albert Bourla, Pfizer CEO, said during a television program on Sunday.

He said the company is in the process of submitting data to US health officials on an additional booster, as well as planning further for a vaccine that would “protect against all variants” and offer protection for a year.

The first booster, he said, is still “quite good for hospitalisations and deaths. It’s not that good against infections”.

Bourla also said he expects to submit data on vaccines for children under age five next month.

China city placed on lockdown over case surge

China has placed the southern city of Shenzhen on a lockdown until March 20, according to a city government notice.

The measures, which came after COVID cases doubled nationwide to nearly 3,400, extend restrictions placed earlier on the city’s central business district.

The surge in infections is thought to be linked to the neighboring city of Hong Kong, where about 300,000 people are currently in isolation or under home quarantine.

Residents will be barred from leaving the city, except in limited situations, and they will need to produce a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours.

All bus and subway systems across the city were ordered to close during the restrictions. Businesses, except those providing essential services will also close, and employees will work from home if they can.

Alongside the lockdown, Shenzhen will launch three rounds of mass testing of residents.

Brazil to review Sinovac vaccine use on children aged three to five

Brazil’s health regulatory agency says it will take seven days starting Monday to review the use of the Sinovac vaccine on children aged three to five.

Instituto Butantan, the distributor of the Sinovac shot, had asked Brazil to use the Sinovac vaccine on the children.

Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine has been in use in Brazil since June 2021, and was extended to children as young as six this year.

Too soon to declare COVID pandemic an endemic says WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is too soon to declare COVID-19 an endemic as cases are still rising in some parts of the world.

The WHO said such a proclamation is not being considered at this time.

According to the organisation, they are currently focused on what conditions would indicate that the public health emergency proclaimed on January 30, 2020, has ended.

It said such a declaration would be not just a meaningful symbolic step, it would also add momentum to the rollback of many pandemic-era public health policies.

While instances have decreased in many countries, fatalities have increased in Hong Kong, with China reporting more than 1,000 new cases per day for the first time in two years.

Nigeria records 36 new cases

Nigeria on Friday confirmed 36 fresh COVID infections.

The Nigeria Centre of Disease Control (NCDC) said the cases were reported in three states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

A breakdown of the fresh infections is shown below.

Yobe-30

Lagos-3

FCT-2

Rivers-1

According to the agency, 32 patients were discharged on Sunday after they recovered from the infection.

To date, Nigeria has confirmed a total of 254,989 cases, 249,372 discharges and 3,142 deaths.