Latest data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has shown that COVID-19 cases in the country surged by 66.6 per cent in two weeks.
According to the data, which was made available to The Nation, between Weeks 21 and 22 (May 23 to June 5) and Weeks 23 and 24 (June 6 to 19), the new confirmed cases in absolute number increased to 445 from 267. Hence, there was a percentage increase in new cases of approximately 67 per cent within the period.
It was revealed that in seven days (between June 25 and July 1, 2022), the country recorded 679 new confirmed COVID-19 cases.
More worrisome is the fact that Lagos State, according to the NCDC data, between June 25 and July 1, 2022, accounted for 76 per cent of the total burden of the disease in the country, followed by Rivers State, which reported 65 cases, representing 9.6 per cent of the total cases.
According to the NCDC data, between June 25 and June 29, 2022, 332 cases were reported, while between June 30 and July 1, 2022, the country recorded 347 cases.
But between June 25 and July 1, Lagos recorded 516 new COVID-19 cases, representing 76 per cent.
Speaking on the recent cases in Nigeria, especially in Lagos State, one of Nigeria’s foremost gynaecologist, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of Nisa Premier Hospital in Abuja, Dr. Ibrahim Wada, urged the Federal Government to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination and research more on the recent surge of cases in Lagos State to avoid a major crisis.
At a meeting between the country’s delegation to Cuba on building partnership for Nigeria’s local vaccine production and the Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria, Clara Pulido-Escandell, he said: “Cases of COVID-19 are surging again in Lagos. It is a threat. It is on our border now. Nigeria has a low rate of vaccination. The government needs to research the recent surge in Lagos to avoid a disaster. We need to make things happen in a way that will save lives.”
The NCDC urged Nigerians to comply with the non-pharmaceutical protocols of regular hand-washing with soap under flowing water, using alcohol-based hand sanitisers, adopting proper wearing of face masks in public and avoiding large and congested gatherings.
