Daily COVID Tracker: Nigeria records zero deaths in 10 days, and UNFPA donates PPE to Ogun

April 23, 2021 7:01 am

Nigeria recorded 100 cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Friday.

UNFPA donates PPE to Ogun

The United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) on Thursday donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers in Ogun state.

The items include surgical gloves, facemasks, hand sanitisers, hand wash, disinfectants, safety goggles and reproductive health kits.

According to NAN, the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN), implementing partner of the UNFPA project, coordinated the handing over of the medical equipment to the state government.

Omotayo Adeyemo, PPFN programme officer in Ogun, said the gesture is part of UNFPA’s efforts to support the state government in fighting COVID-19.

She said the items will be distributed to 33 primary healthcare centres in Abeokuta south, Sagamu and Ado Odo/Ota LGAs of the state.

China to assist India in COVID-19 fight

China has expressed a willingness to assist India in curtailing the spike in COVID-19 infections.

Fielding questions from newsmen on Thursday, Wang Wenbin, spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said China is aware of the surge in COVID-19 cases in India.

“China is willing to provide the necessary support and help,” he said, adding that “the novel coronavirus is a common enemy of all mankind, and the global community needs to unite as one to fight against epidemics.”

India recorded more than 314,835 cases of COVID-19 on Thursday — making it the highest single-day tally in the world.

The Asian country is in its second wave and has seen a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in recent times and also battling oxygen shortage for patients.

The country’s healthcare centres are reportedly filled and struggling to cope with the daily records of infections.

Authorities seize fake versions of vaccine in Poland, Mexico

Pfizer, US drugmaker, says it identified counterfeit versions of its COVID vaccine in Mexico and Poland.

The vaccine doses were said to have been seized by authorities in the two countries and were subsequently confirmed to be fake.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned that counterfeit vaccines pose a grave danger to public health, asking countries to identify and stop its circulation.

Nigeria records 100 COVID infections

Nigeria has witnessed a decline in the number of COVID-19 fatalities in recent days as the country reported no death on Thursday — for the 10th day running.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in its updates for April 22, said 100 cases were reported in eight states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

States that reported infections on Thursday include Taraba (64), Lagos (21), FCT (4) and Rivers (3).

Others are Akwa Ibom (2), Kaduna (2), Oyo (2), Bauchi (1) and Nasarawa (1).

The agency said, “data from Taraba state were recorded between the 11th and 21st of April, 2021 21”.

According to the NCDC, 137 patients were discharged on Thursday including “community recoveries in Bayelsa state managed in line with guidelines”.

COVID-19 cases recorded across 36 states and the FCT now stand at 164,588; 154,578 patients have been discharged — but with 2,061 deaths recorded.

UAE suspends inbound flights from India

The United Arab Emirates’ General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) has suspended all inbound flights for national and international carriers from India.

The move is said to be a precautionary health measure to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

“The decision to suspend flights came after studying and evaluating the epidemiological situation in the friendly Republic of India and within the framework of continuous coordination and cooperation with all relevant authorities inside and outside the country that continuously monitor developments in the situation to maintain the security and safety of civil aviation,” GCAA said in a statement.

It added that the suspension does not include cargo flights.

COVID-19 IN NIGERIA