Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 304 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 12 states and the federal capital territory (LGA).
The agency confirmed the new cases in its update for August 20, 2021.
The states that recorded positive cases include Rivers (154), Ekiti (33), Edo (20) FCT (18), Oyo (17), Cross River (15), Delta (15), Akwa Ibom (13), Ogun (11), Bayelsa (4), Sokoto (2), Gombe (1) and Nasarawa (1).
Meanwhile, according to the agency, 201 persons were discharged on Friday after recovering from the virus.
NCDC also said 3 persons died from COVID-19, bringing the total number of fatalities to 2,247.
To date, 185,571 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed while 168,124 discharges have been made.
In the same vein, Delta state government has partnered with the World Bank in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic
Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, stated this when he inaugurated the state Project Steering Committee of the Nigeria COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Project (Co-PREP), in Asaba, the state capital.
Represented by Kingsley Otuaro, his deputy, the governor said the committee would oversee the implementation of Co-PREP projects in the state.
Okowa said;
This is World Bank assisted project meant to be implemented by the collaboration of the various states in the country and the NCDC to be able to access the grant made available by the World Bank. This grant is only accessible on the condition that certain criteria are met and so the inauguration of the committee is an integral part of the requirements by the World Bank.
In other news, India has granted emergency use approval for Zydus-D COVID-19 vaccine for adults and children aged 12 years and above.
The vaccine is said to be the world’s first DNA shot against the coronavirus.
The vaccine uses a section of genetic material from the virus that gives instructions as either DNA or RNA to make the specific protein that the immune system recognises and responds to.
The vaccine is administered in three doses and is different from most COVID-19 vaccines which are given as two doses or a single dose.
The approval makes it the sixth vaccine authorised for use in India.
