Nigeria Confirms 49 Cases Of Omicron COVID-19 Variant

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed the existence of forty-nine cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country.

The NCDC confirmed 49 as the total cases of the Omicron COVID variant as of December 21, during a media briefing on Friday.

SaharaReporters had reported that the NCDC announced that the country was now facing a fourth wave of the pandemic while urging Nigerians to take precautions during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The NCDC had disclosed this in a statement signed by the Director-General, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa.

The statement had read, “Nigeria has recorded a 500% increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks across the country caused by the Delta and Omicron variants. As of 19th December 2021, a total of 223,887 cases and 2,985 deaths have been recorded in Nigeria across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

“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.”