Covid: FG Reveals Six states, FCT On Red Alert As 3rd Wave Jangles Nerves

Related stories

[Video] Tragedy! UK Bound Air India Crashes, Over 204 Passengers Perish

By Abiola Olawale A catastrophic aviation disaster that happened on...

Seeing Opposition In Disarray Gives Me Pleasure, Tinubu Taunts PDP, LP, Others

By Kolawole Ojebisi President Bola Tinubu on Thursday has stated...

Tinubu Denies Stopping INEC From Registering New Parties

By Kolawole Ojebisi President Tinubu has denied stopping the Independent...
  • NCDC Confirms 32 Cases Of Delta Variant In 5 States

The Federal Government has hinted that six states and the Federal Capital Territory are currently driving the third wave of COVID-19 disease in the country as the carnage of the pandemic lingers.

The Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, while expressing concern in Abuja on Monday during a briefing listed Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Rivers, Kano and Plateau as states that are now on red alert.

According to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the PSC, Boss Mustapha, all countries in the West African region were beginning to witness the third wave.

He lamented that Nigeria has been recording about 500 cases daily in the last seven days.

Mustapha said the country’s test Positivity Ratio had increased to about six per cent, describing the development as worrisome and that the country was not out of the woods yet.

He said: “It is no more news that the Delta variant has made its way into Nigeria.

“The PSC is particularly concerned about the situation in Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Rivers, Kano, Plateau and FCT.

“This variant has made way into these states and accounts for the rising cases in these states and across the nation.

“Lagos alone accounts for over 50 per cent of the number of cases, the development calls for great caution because the virus is very virulent and raging in so many other countries.

“We must therefore keep observing the Non Pharmaceutical Intervention, (NPIs)  and also ensure that we get vaccinated.

“Vaccination prevents severe cases and reduces hospitalisation and deaths, but does not eliminate contracting it, hence the need to religiously observe the NPIs.”

Speaking on those evading travel protocol and quarantine, the SGF said: “The PSC is ready to publish over 500 travellers who violated the travel protocol and those who evaded quarantine this week.

“Similarly, those who had their passports barred for six months will be lifted in the coming days.

“The CG Immigration will be directed to lift the suspension and to also activate the new sanctions.

“Travellers that did not go for their Day 7 test will have restriction placed on their international passports for six months, while those who evaded quarantine will similarly have restrictions on their international passports for one year.

“I also want to announce that the National International Travel Portal is being reviewed to better enhance a hitch free experience for travellers.

“This review will be completed in the next two weeks.

“The Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu is ready for reopening.

“A date will be announced in due course after few logistics issues are cleared.

“The PSC has also reviewed the travel protocols for diplomatic travellers.”

The SGF, therefore, called for more testing, noting: “There is the need to test more and detect early enough so that people who have contacted this virus can be treated early.

“I am pleased to announce that we currently have 143 molecular laboratories in the country (54 private and 89 public) where we can go and test.

“Please make yourself available for testing and please, test regularly.”

Also, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu has confirmed that 32 Delta variant cases of coronavirus have been reported in five states across the country.

Ihekweazu, gave the confirmation on Monday in Abuja at the resumed briefing of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.

He said Akwa Ibom State has nine of the cases.

The NCDC boss listed Lagos, Rivers and Oyo states as well as the Federal Capital Territory among states where at least one case of the Delta variant of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the country.

“We will continue to scale the weekly number of samples sequenced as part of our surveillance,” Ikekweazu said, while stressing that the risk of virus mutation was higher when there was a high transmission of the virus.

“While sequencing is important for us to understand the situation, handwashing, physical distancing and the proper use of face masks are very important to prevent the spread of the virus,” he further said.

He stressed that Nigerians must continue to adhere to all preventive guidelines to stay protected from getting infected with the COVID-19 virus, while herd immunity can only be achieved when over 50 percent of the population was vaccinated.

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
[Video] Tragedy! UK Bound Air India Crashes, Over 204 Passengers PerishTinubu Confers National Honours on Yar'Adua, Kudirat Abiola, Ayo Adebanjo, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Humphrey Nwosu, Soyinka, Sam Amuka, Ibru, OthersSeeing Opposition In Disarray Gives Me Pleasure, Tinubu Taunts PDP, LP, OthersTinubu Denies Stopping INEC From Registering New PartiesDemocracy Day: Peter Obi Slams Tinubu for Prioritizing Politics Over the Welfare of NigeriansJune 12: PDP Raises Alarm, Says APC Is Plotting to Impose “One-Party State” on NigeriaDangote Steps Down as Sugar Chairman After Two Decades of LeadershipDemocracy Day: Reject 'Thugs Masquerading As Leaders', Utomi Urges NigeriansHow Nigeria's Money Got Into Foreign Accounts During Abacha's Reign -- Al-MustaphaPanic As Air India Flight To UK With 242 Passengers Crashes Shortly After Take-offADDRESS BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR AT THE JOINT SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN COMMEMORATION OF DEMOCRACY DAY, 2025The Complexities of DecisionsOshiomhole Breaks Silence on Viral Lagos Airport Clash with Air Peace StaffSEC Blasts CBEX Says it remains Banned in Nigeria, as Crypto Platform2027: Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai, Others Can't Unseat Tinubu, They're 'Bound To Fail' -- Wike
X whatsapp