Nigeria Records 216 New COVID-19 Cases

 

A total of 216 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in various parts of the country, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said.

In its latest update on the pandemic, the NCDC – the Federal Government agency responsible for the control of disease outbreaks – noted that the new infections were reported in eight states of the Federation on Sunday.

This comes amid fears and panic as Nigeria’s total figure has continued to rise recently, although authorities have yet to officially declare a third wave of the pandemic.

As part of efforts to prevent the disturbing trend and control the deaths recorded in the first and second waves, the Federal Government, as well as some state authorities, have reintroduced the initially relaxed protocols.

These include compulsory use of face masks in public places, maintaining social distancing, and restriction of crowds in places of worship and social gatherings, among others.

READ ALSO: WTO Working To Boost Vaccine Production In Africa – Okonjo-Iweala

Despite this, authorities have raised concerns over the rising figures of confirmed cases, stressing that Nigeria had begun to see other strains of the virus such as the B.1.617.2, also known as the Delta variant.

The NCDC listed the eight states where the 216 new infections were recorded to include Lagos – 108, Akwa Ibom – 96, Oyo – four, Rivers – three, Edo – two, and Ekiti, Kano, and Osun which recorded a case each.

Since the country recorded its first cases in late February 2020, the NCDC has confirmed a total of 171,111 cases in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Of the figure, 164,789 cases have been discharged and 2,132 deaths have been recorded.

While the government is making efforts to ensure more people receive the vaccine jab, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, says talks are in motion to persuade vaccine companies to invest more in Africa.

Okonjo-Iweala, a former Minister of Finance, spoke on Sunday virtually at the annual National Diaspora Day celebration which held in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

She was hopeful that manufacturing vaccines on the African continent would reduce vaccination inequality as many countries struggle to secure vaccines for their citizens.

The WTO chief disclosed that attempts have been made to bring the CEOs of “major manufacturing companies from Moderna to Pfizer to AstraZeneca, J&J” to the table.

See the breakdown of cases according to states below: