The COVID-19 infections in the country have risen by 67 per cent, the latest figures have shown.
The data also revealed that there was a 390.4 per cent increase in testing, which has led to an increase in the report of positive cases.
The report, which was released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, noted that “in weeks 23 and 24, the number of samples tested increased to 75,277 from 15,347 reported in weeks 21 and 22. These were reported in the 36 states and FCT.”
According to the World Health Organisation, from January 3, 2020 to July 5, 2022, there have been 257,637 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 3,144 deaths in Nigeria.
The global health organisation also said a total of 50,619,238 vaccine doses had been administered in the country as of June 26, 2022.
But the NCDC report, obtained on Monday, said, “In weeks 23 and 24, the number of confirmed cases in absolute numbers increased to 445 from 267 in weeks 21 and 22(May 23 to June 5).
“In weeks 23 and 24, discharged cases increased to 185 from 47 in weeks 21 and 22.”
According to the NCDC data, Delta State reported 14 cases; FCT reported 24 cases; Kaduna 7; Kano 22; Lagos 314; Nasarawa 11; Plateau 1 and Rivers 44 cases in weeks 23 and 24, making a total of 445 cases.
Cross River State reported one case; FCT 20; Imo 38; Kaduna 3; Kano 42; Kwara 5; Lagos 137; Nasarawa 3; Rivers 16, making a total of 267 cases in weeks 21 and 22.
The PUNCH reports that there has been an increase in the number of reported cases in the United Kingdom.
According to the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics, COVID-19 infections in the UK are up by 32 per cent in the previous week with an estimated 2.3 million people infected.
The ONS said infection rates had continued to increase across all the four UK countries, likely driven by the growth of the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron sub-variants.
While the Federal Government did not explain why it increased its testing capacity, the NCDC in its report said, “There was an increase in reported cases from week 16 to week 22.”
Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, an expert virologist from the University of Maiduguri, Prof Marycelin Baba, noted that COVID-19 never “went on leave.”
Baba said, “COVID-19 did not go on leave in Nigeria. It is a virus; you can not totally say that you have eliminated a virus like that. Well, the NCDC might have observed something which led to an increase in testing.
“The UK is also reporting an increase in the number of cases and maybe the NCDC decided to increase testing because of that. However, as we have always said, vaccination is the only way out. People should get vaccinated.”
Efforts to reach the NCDC Director of Communications, Yahaya Disu, on the reason for the increase in cases proved abortive as he was yet to reply to inquiries as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, official data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency revealed that over 21 per cent of eligible persons in Nigeria had been fully vaccinated, with 7 million eligible persons vaccinated monthly over the past three months.
The data revealed that 13 states of the federation have failed to vaccinate at least 10 per cent of the eligible population despite the launch of mass vaccination campaigns.
The Federal Government through the NPHCDA in November 2021 launched mass vaccination campaigns as a strategy to increase the rate of COVID-19 vaccine intake in the country.
According to the NPHCDA data obtained by The PUNCH on Tuesday, 13 states had yet to achieve 10 per cent vaccine coverage, thereby slowing down Nigeria’s plan of achieving 40 per cent herd immunity.
The NPHCDA listed the states and their percentages as follows: Benue 9 per cent; Bauchi 9; Anambra 8; Imo 8; Enugu 7; Rivers 7; Borno 7; Niger 7; Kogi 6; Akwa-Ibom 5; Edo 5; Ebonyi 4; and Bayelsa with two per cent.
Efforts to reach the Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, on the plans to encourage and speed up the vaccination processes in states were unsuccessful. He had yet to reply to an SMS as of press time. – Punch.
