Daily COVID Tracker: Nigeria records 26 cases — lowest single-day count in 4 months

Nigeria on Sunday recorded 26 cases of COVID-19 — the lowest single-day count in four months. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Monday.

South Africa health regulator recommends lifting pause on J&J vaccine  

South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has recommended that the government lift the pause on administering Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

South Africa suspended the rollout of the J&J vaccine in the “implementation study” last Tuesday after US health agencies recommended suspending its use owing to rare cases of blood clots in six people who received the vaccine.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the health regulator said the pause should be lifted if certain conditions are met.

“These conditions include, but are not limited to, strengthened screening and monitoring of participants who are at high risk of a blood clotting disorder,” the agency said.

“In addition, measures are to be implemented to ensure the safe management of any participants who develop vaccine-induced thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT).”

Nigeria records 26 new cases — lowest single-day count in 2021

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the country recorded 26 cases of COVID-19 on Sunday — representing the lowest single-day count in 2021.

The latest positive cases of COVID-19 were recorded in six states, according to the agency’s update for April 18.

States that recorded new cases are Ebonyi (10), Lagos (9), FCT (2), Kano (2), Osun (2), and Oyo (1)

According to the agency, seven patients were discharged on Sunday after recovering from the infection, raising the country’s total recovery figure to 154,332.

The NCDC reported no death COVID-19 death for the sixth day on Sunday which keeps the total casualty figure at 2,061.

Out of 164,233 coronavirus infections that have been confirmed in Nigeria, 7,840 are active cases being managed across the states and the FCT.

Oyetola asks Muslims to embrace COVID-19 vaccination

Gboyega Oyetola, governor of Osun, has asked Muslims to embrace COVID-19 vaccination.

The governor gave the advice at the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society annual Ramadan Lecture and special prayer held at the Central Mosque at Maitama, Abuja.

Speaking at the event, Oyetola who was represented by Abdullah Binuyo, his deputy chief of staff, said “as Muslims, we must rally around government to embrace vaccination so that we can live to fulfil Allah’s purpose for our lives”.

“We must see coronavirus as our common enemy; it poses a threat to our lives and livelihood. We put ourselves, our families and livelihood in jeopardy when we pander to ignorance and play politics with a life-snuffing virus,” he said.

“This isn’t the time to play politics, but to join hands with the government, both at the Federal and State levels, in the fight against COVID-19.”

Britain investigating variant from India

British health officials are investigating a COVID-19 variant originating in India, according to Public Health England (PHE).

PHE said it identified 77 cases of the variant in Britain.

Speaking during a televised programme on Sunday, Susan Hopkins, an official of PHE, said they do not have enough evidence to classify it is as a variant of concern.

“We have not got enough data about this variant yet to be able to clarify whether it’s a variant of concern. We have put it as a variant under investigation,” Hopkins said.

“To escalate it up the ranking we need to know that it’s increased transmissibility, increased severity, or vaccine-evading, and we just don’t have that yet, but we’re looking at the data on a daily basis.”

Cambodia uses wedding halls to admit COVID-19 patients

Cambodia is reportedly using wedding halls to admit COVID-19 patients following a spike in infections.

The country was said to have set up thousands of hospital beds in two wedding party halls on Sunday.

Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, and a satellite district imposed a lockdown last Thursday to curb the spread of infections.

Under the two-week lockdown, most people are banned from leaving their homes except to go to work, buy food or for medical treatment.

COVID-19 IN NIGERIA