Omicron coronavirus variant; two new cases confirmed in Nigeria

Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Boss on Wednesday, December 1, confirmed the first case of Omicron variant in Nigeria.

in a statement said in line with the routine travel test required of all international travellers and Genomic sequencing at the NCDC through Its National Reference Laboratory (NRL), Abuja, confirmed Nigeria’s first case of the Omicron variant, also known as the B.1.1.529 lineage.

Due to this development, the Canadian government has added Nigeria to the list of countries banned from entering into the country in a bid to halt the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

This was made known in a statement posted on the country’s official website on Tuesday, November 30.

Canadian Transport Minister, Omar Alghabra, has said foreign nationals who had been to these countries in the previous 14 days would be temporarily banned from entering Canada.

Alghabra added that Canadians and permanent residents who have been in the 10 countries, even those who are fully vaccinated, must also be tested before entering Canada.

Omicron coronavirus variant; two new cases confirmed in Nigeria

The Omicron variant, a new strain of the coronavirus disease, was reported by South Africa and first detected in Botswana.

According to the statement, “In line with the routine travel tests required of all international travellers, genomic sequencing at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control through its National Reference Laboratory, Abuja, confirms Nigeria’s first case of the Omicron variant.

Genomic sequencing of positive cases from routine day-two testing for travellers to Nigeria identified two cases of Omicron variant among travellers from South Africa who arrived in Nigeria last week.

Retrospective sequencing of previously confirmed cases among travellers to Nigeria also identified the Omicron variant among samples collected in October 2021.”

The NCDC however added that the two patients were asymptomatic and contact tracing had begun.
This comes as the Nigeria Center for Disease and Control (NCDC) announced that two cases of Omicron variant had been detected in the country.

Temi Badmus

Temi Badmus is a Food scientist and an Art enthusiast. Her desire is to give a listening ear to people and to give an opportunity for everyone to be heard. She's a humorous and controversial writer, who believes all form of writing is audible if its done well. Temi Badmus is research oriented, dog lover; she is currently a mum to two brutal Jack Russell terrier male and female - "Cash" and Indie
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