By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has issued a public health advisory amid the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the country and around the world as the country prepares to celebrate the holiday of the Eid-el-Kabir.
Business post reported on Thursday that the federal government had declared public holidays for Monday July 11 and Tuesday July 12 to mark Sallah tomorrow.
The Nigerian Infectious Diseases Authority issued the warning on Friday as the number of weekly COVID-19 cases rose globally for the third week in a row – according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“This is based on the current risk of the virus and the need for religious organizations, community leaders and Nigerians in general to take the necessary precautions ahead of the upcoming Eid-Al-Kabir celebrations.
“Similarly, our national surveillance system has detected a gradual increase in daily cases of COVID-19 recorded in the country. Although confirmed cases increased from 267 to 445 between weeks 21 and 24, hospitalizations and deaths remained low, suggesting that these are mostly mild to moderate cases or that we are in the phase of latency before we see the concomitant increase in serious illnesses and hospitalizations,” the agency said. said.
Since Nigeria’s first case was detected on February 27, 2020, authorities have confirmed 256,695 cases with 3,144 deaths in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Genomic surveillance, according to the NCDC, confirms that omicron and its various progeny (sublineages) remain the dominant circulating variant of concern associated with the spread of the disease in the country.
He explained that the recent increase in cases may be partly or entirely due to increased testing over the past few weeks, increased circulation of omicron sublines (BA.4 and BA.5 as seen elsewhere), to an increase in seasonal illnesses with cold and cough symptoms, as well as poor compliance with preventive measures such as the use of masks.
Authorities said they continued to maintain active surveillance and support states to ensure access to testing was provided for rapid management of confirmed cases and to coordinate genomic surveillance to detect emerging variants.
“Our goal is to ensure the continuity of the response to COVID-19 and to improve our health system while giving the necessary attention to other priorities of our mandate, including the ongoing response to monkeypox”, the agency said.
“In addition to the COVID-19 situation in Nigeria and around the world, the upcoming Eid-Al-Kabir celebrations against the backdrop of sub-optimal COVID-19 vaccination and increasing number of cases of COVID-19 call for increased individual and collective responsibility.
“The virus that causes COVID-19 is more likely to spread during mass gatherings and when people do not adhere to preventive measures such as physical distancing, use of masks and hand hygiene.
“As we celebrate, we urge Nigerians to prevent the outbreak of a full-fledged fifth wave of COVID-19 by remaining aware of the high risk of spreading COVID-19 and acting in tandem by adhering to safety measures. recommended public health measures,” he said. Noted.
