Daily COVID Tracker: NCDC logs 75 cases — but 259 recoveries

Nigeria on Wednesday recorded 75 cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Thursday.

Zimbabwe fixes deadline for frontline workers to get vaccinated

Zimbabwe has fixed July 14 as the deadline for frontline health workers in the country to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Monica Mutsvangwa, information minister, disclosed this at a post-cabinet media briefing.

She said 20 percent of frontline health workers have not been vaccinated, adding that those who do not receive the vaccine by the said date will be denied their COVID insurance payouts.

“After this date, those who would not have been vaccinated will not receive COVID-19 insurance payouts,’’ she said.

Swiss to give four million AstraZeneca shots to COVAX

Switzerland says it will give four million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to the COVAX programme to help tackle unequal vaccination in poor countries.

Switzerland had reserved 5.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for domestic use.

However, Swissmedic, the country’s medical regulator, has not approved the shot because it has not received all necessary data from clinical trials.

The country said it will rely on mRNA vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech shots.

Switzerland has also announced the donation of 145 million Swiss francs ($157 million) to COVAX.

Britain planning for booster shots from September

The United Kingdom (UK) says it will start planning for a COVID-19 vaccine booster campaign in September for the elderly and most vulnerable.

The development comes after vaccine advisers said a third dose may be needed.

“We need to learn to live with this virus. Our first COVID-19 vaccination programme is restoring freedom in this country, and our booster programme will protect this freedom,” Sajid Javid, health minister said.

Nigeria records 75 COVID infections

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 75 COVID-19 infections across five states and the federal capital territory (FCT) on Wednesday.

This is the highest number of cases recorded since the start of the week.

The country had recorded two cases on Sunday, 65 cases on Monday and 11 cases on Tuesday respectively.

Despite the rise, 259 persons were discharged on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 164,244.

Lagos, the epicentre of the pandemic, recorded 47 cases — that is 62.67 percent of the total number of positive samples on Wednesday.

Other states that recorded infections include Gombe (15), FCT (4), Rivers (4), Kaduna (3), and Ekiti (2).

With the latest figures, a total of 167,618 infections have now been confirmed  across 36 states and the FCT.

The agency said: “Today’s report includes data from Lagos State for 29th (21 cases) & 30th (26 cases) June, 2021”.

According to the data, no death was recorded on Wednesday, leaving the fatality toll at 2,120.

Namibia cancels biggest trade fair over rising COVID-19 cases 

Namibia has cancelled its biggest trade fair — Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair (OATF) — for the second consecutive year as a result of rising COVID-19 cases.

Jackson Muma, OATF spokesperson, made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday.

“The heightening risks and overwhelming concerns about COVID-19 served as a scale for the OATF not to proceed with the fair during such an unprecedented global situation,” Muma said.

“A fund-raising gala dinner and official launch of the trade fair, which was scheduled for this coming Saturday, has also been called off due to restrictions on public gatherings.”

COVID-19 IN NIGERIA