COVID-19

11 African Countries Currently In Fifth Wave Of COVID-19

11 African Countries Currently In Fifth Wave Of COVID-19

Coronavirus infections are on the rise in African countries but are currently becoming less and less fatal, an Africa Centre for Disease Control official revealed on Thursday.

Countries experiencing their “fifth wave” of cases are seeing tallies spike higher than in their previous wave, Deputy Head of the pan-African health organisation, Ahmed Ogwell, said.

Eleven countries on the continent are currently in a fifth wave of infection, with Mauritius in its sixth, Ogwell said.

Some of the countries are Algeria, Benin, Congo Republic, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mauritius, Somalia and Tunisia.

Over 30 Million Under lockdown In China As Covid-19 Surges

No fewer than 30 million people are presently under lockdown across China, as surging virus cases occasioned the return of mass tests and hazmat-suited health officials to city streets on a scale not seen since the beginning of the pandemic.

Africa Daily News, New York reports that China reported an alarming 5,280 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, more than double the tally on Monday, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads across a country that has tethered tightly to a ‘zero-Covid’ strategy.

That approach, which is built around hard localised lockdowns and has left China virtually cut off from …

How 25 Nigerians Died Of COVID-19 In Five Days - NCDC

How 25 Nigerians Died Of COVID-19 In Five Days – NCDC

The Africa Centre for Disease Control, yesterday revealed that Nigeria had experienced a 249 percent increase in new deaths as a result of COVID-19 even as a tally of epidemiological reports issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control revealed that no fewer than 25 persons died in five days.

The Director of the Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong, during a virtual briefing of journalists added that 547 million doses of vaccine had been procured by the 54-member states of the African Union, while 326 million had been administered.

He said, ‘There has been an overall eight per cent

COVID-19 WHO Gifts Nigeria 26 Ventilators, Others

COVID-19: WHO Gifts Nigeria 26 Ventilators, Others

Nigeria’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has received a major boost, as the country, yesterday took delivery of 26 ventilators and other equipment from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Africa Daily News, New York reports that Nigeria also took delivery of 3,560 fingertip oxygen pulse oximeters as authorities step up efforts to curb the spread of the disease in the period of a third wave.

Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire received the donated items on behalf of the Federal Government on Thursday in Abuja.

‘We thank you and appreciate these additional assets as we have to deal with the

Germany Set To Offer COVID Booster Shots From September

Germany Set To Offer COVID Booster Shots From September

Germany have disclosed that it plans to start offering COVID-19 booster shots to the elderly and at-risk from September.

According to the health ministry, concerns over ‘a reduced or rapidly declining immune response’ among some groups is the reason behind the move.

The booster shot — either Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna — will also be offered to anyone who received the two-dose Astrazeneca or single-dose Johnson & Johnson jabs, the health ministry said, ‘in the interests of preventative healthcare’.

Read Also: Covid-19: Chinese Cities Test Millions As Cases Surge

The move comes as the contagious delta variant of the coronavirus continues …

COVID-19 We’ve Identified 10 Cases Of Delta Variant – NCDC

COVID-19: We’ve Identified 10 Cases Of Delta Variant – NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has revealed that the Delta variant cases of COVID-19 have so far been identified in the country.

The Director-General of the organisation, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, made this disclosure during the health minister’s update on the COVID-19 pandemic in Abuja on Monday.

According to him, ‘So far we have identified 10 delta variant cases in the country. Actually what we do is collect samples from the travelers. Most of the cases are from travellers coming into Lagos and Abuja. Once they come in, we collect samples.

‘The symptoms that it possesses are not

Protesters, Police Clash In Thailand Over PM’s Resignation

Protesters, Police Clash In Thailand Over PM’s Resignation

The Police in Thailand have used rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannon to attempt to disperse protesters in Bangkok as demonstrators defied COVID-19 restrictions to call for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s resignation yesterday.

Africa Daily News, New York reports that the protests came on Sunday as the kingdom is currently facing its worst wave of COVID-19 infections, registering daily case records as hospitals buckle under pressure.

Exacerbating the toll has been the government’s slow procurement of vaccines, which has drawn criticism as Thailand’s economy reels from increasingly severe restrictions on businesses.

Read Also: COVID-19: WHO Identifies Risky Delta Variant

COVID-19 NAFDAC Approves Russian Vaccine For Emergency Use

COVID-19: NAFDAC Approves Russian Vaccine For Emergency Use

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the emergency use approval of Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines, as well as conditional approval of Sputnik V vaccine as the battle against the third wave of the pandemic, sets in.

The AstraZeneca approved is from the Republic of Korea (SK Bioscience Co Limited), as a result of the stall in the procurement of AstraZeneca vaccine, also known as Covishield, manufactured under licence by Serum Institute of India, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Moderna is produced by Rovi Pharma Madrid, Spain. Sputnik V from Russia …

Covid-19 Kenya Imposes New Lockdown, Restrictions

Covid-19: Kenya Imposes New Lockdown, Restrictions

The Kenyan government has announced that the west of the country, including the border with Uganda, is a Covid-19 hotspot and hence restricted movements and gatherings in those areas.

Africa Daily News, New York reports that a surge in infections, especially in the lakeside city of Kisumu and nearby towns, has raised the infection rate in the region to 21% compared to a national average of 9%.

The ministry of health has said that beginning on Friday all but essential travel between, into, and out of 13 counties in western Kenya will be ‘strongly discouraged’.

A curfew in those zones …

Zambia Suspends Political Campaigns Amid Covid-19 Surge

Zambia Suspends Political Campaigns Amid Covid-19 Surge

Zambia has announced a raft of measures, including suspending political rallies for the 12 August election, to deal with a surge in Covid-19 infections following an alarming increase in numbers.

Africa Daily News, New York gathered that in the last 24 hours, the southern African nation has recorded 48 deaths from Covid-19 – the highest toll the country has reported.

Read Also: Covid-19: South Africa Officially Enters Third Virus Wave

Simon Miti, secretary to the cabinet, told a media briefing that in the last 24 hours out of 12,928 tests, 3,026 were found to be positive for Covid-19.

To mitigate …

September Vaccination Deadline Unlikely For Africa - WHO

September Vaccination Deadline Unlikely For Africa – WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that nearly 90 percent of African countries will miss a target of vaccinating a tenth of their population by September unless they urgently receive more than 200 million jabs which currently appears unlikely.

Only seven African countries (out of 54) are likely to reach the target,’ the World Health Organization’s director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said in an online briefing which was monitored by Africa Daily News, New York.

At least 225 million jabs are urgently required if the majority of the countries are to meet the deadline, she said.

Read Also:

WHO Scientists Study Omicron COVID Variant

COVID-19: WHO Approves China’s Sinovac Vaccine

The World Health Organization has announced that it has approved the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine produced in China for emergency use.

Africa Daily News, New York gathered that the development was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the UN health agency.

The agency assured counties that the vaccine met the international standard and is safe for use against the deadly coronavirus.

Read Also: AstraZeneca Briefs Nigeria On COVID-19 Vaccine Fears

‘WHO today validated the Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving countries, funders, procuring agencies, and communities the assurance that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy, and manufacturing.

Sinovac …