Nigeria on Monday recorded two cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Tuesday.
Moderna to build mRNA vaccine plant in Kenya
Moderna says it has reached a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kenya to build a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing facility in the East African country.
The drug manufacturer said it will invest about $500 million to produce messenger RNA, the technology that underpins its COVID vaccines.
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The pharmaceutical company said the plant will manufacture 500 million doses annually and could commence production as early as 2023.
In a statement on Monday, Uhuru Kenyatta, president of Kenya, said the development will benefit the African continent.
“We all know the challenges that Kenya and the entire continent of Africa went through in the earlier stages of this pandemic that resulted in Africa being left behind. Not because of want, but because of lack and Moderna has come to fill that space,” the statement reads.
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US CDC asks Americans to avoid travel to Hong Kong, New Zealand
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked Americans to avoid travel to Hong Kong, New Zealand and Thailand over the surge in COVID-19 cases.
The CDC raised its travel advice for the three countries to level four (very high). It also advised Americans to stay away from around 135 countries and territories.
The CDC lists another 33 destinations as level three (high) and advised unvaccinated citizens to avoid travelling to the countries.
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Nigeria logs two COVID infections
Nigeria’s recorded its lowest single day COVID-19 infection in 2022.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says two cases were recorded in the country on Monday.
The infections were logged in Kaduna and Rivers respectively.
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The agency said Lagos and the federal capital territory (FCT) have not recorded any case in the past three and two days respectively.
Data from the NCDC showed that seven persons were discharged after they recovered from COVID-19 infections. For the 17th day in a row, no death was reported.
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With the new cases, Nigeria has now recorded 254,659 infections, 249,206 recoveries and 3,142 fatalities.
COVID: Florida health officials to advise against vaccinating ‘healthy’ children
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Joseph Ladapo, surgeon general of Florida, says the state will formally recommend against COVID-19 vaccinations for “healthy children”.
Ladapo spoke on Monday at an event organised by the Republican governor, Ron DeSantis.
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“The Florida department of health is going to be the first state to officially recommend against the COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children,” Ladapo said.
“We´re kind of scraping at the bottom of the barrel, particularly with healthy kids, in terms of actually being able to quantify with any accuracy and any confidence the even potential of benefit.”
The move puts the state at odds with the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which both recommend that parents give their children the vaccine.
Fatality toll hits six million
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of over six million people worldwide.
As of the time of filing this report, 6,007,367 fatalities have been recorded globally, according to data by John Hopkins University.
Although some countries are suspending mask mandates, travel is resuming, and businesses are reopening around the world, the milestone is a reminder that the pandemic is still taking its toll on humans.
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