Nigeria Declares 4th Wave of COVID-19

The Federal Government of Nigeria has declared a fourth COVID-19 wave as a result of the rise in Delta and Omicron variants infections in the country.

The most populous African country has recorded a 500 percent increase in infections in the past two weeks, Ifedayo Adetifa, head of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), said in a statement.

The statement by NCDC reads in part; “The country is now in a fourth COVID-19 wave. The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, the Federal Ministry of Health, as well as NCDC and its partners, are therefore intensifying risk communication efforts to remind Nigerians of the risk we face and need to take collective responsibility to reduce transmission of the virus.”

Health authorities in the country are intensifying risk communication efforts to remind Nigerians of the risk and the need to take collective responsibility to reduce transmission of the virus, the senior public health official said.

“The response to COVID-19 requires a whole-of-society approach. Therefore, individuals, families, and institutions also need to play their part in protecting each other by ensuring adherence to COVID-19 public health and social measures,” he added.

Ahead of the yuletide season, the NCDC said it has rolled out plans to curb the further reckless spread of the pandemic, even as it warns Nigerians against losing guards.

The disease centre said it has launched a new campaign, which it tagged; #CelebrateResponsibly, noting that it is targeted to sensitise Nigerians to take all necessary precautions as they celebrate Christmas and new year.

According to Mr Adefila, the #CelebrateResponsibly campaign targets the entertainment industry, transport industry, religious settings, media, security personnel, young people, and the general public to promote adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures before, during and after the festive period.

The director also urged Nigerians to avoid all non-essential travels within and outside Nigeria to reduce the risk of transmission, saying the virus that causes COVID-19 is more likely to spread in mass gatherings especially when held indoors with full capacity and poor ventilation.

“We strongly recommend outdoor events with physical distancing, compulsory use of facemasks, and provision of handwashing facilities or hand sanitisers,” he said.