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From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
No fewer than 21 Nigerians died on December 25 (Christmas day) from COVID-19 complications even as the death toll from the virus in the country hits 3,014.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) made this known in its daily update, yesterday, where it also announced 1,305 new cases on Christmas day with Lagos topping the list with 705.
The new infections bring the total number of COVID-19 cases recorded in Nigeria to 236,014 and also raised concerns on the need to have more Nigerians embrace the vaccines to curb the spread of the virus and the attendant deaths.
“The 1, 305 new cases are reported from 14 states – Lagos, 705; Oyo, 234; Ondo,88; Kaduna,79; Rivers,78; Ogun,30; Anambra,25; Kano, 24; Enugu,12; Ekiti,11; Jigawa, six; Osun, six; Plateau, six and Zamfara, one.
“Till date, 236, 014 cases have been confirmed, 212, 357 cases have been discharged and 3, 014 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre, activated at level two, continues to coordinate the national response activities,” the NCDC said.
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A number of close aides of President Muhammadu Buhari were also recently diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. Among those diagnosed with the infection after PCR test results were released are the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu; the Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Yusuf Dodo; and Chief Security Officer (CSO), Aliyu Musa.
However, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has denied contracting the virus.
In a statement, yesterday, a media aide to the minister said: “For the record, the minister does not have COVID-19, hence he is neither in isolation nor receiving treatment anywhere. That report, which was first published by an online newspaper and then latched on to by some mainstream lapdog media, once again highlights the uphill task we face in our campaign to stamp out fake news and misinformation.
“The minister was at the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, an extraordinary FEC meeting on Thursday and also witnessed the swearing-in of the Minister of State for Works and Housing on Friday. All these events took place at the Villa, where the correspondents of many media organisations are deployed. In fact, the minister coordinated the post-FEC press briefing on Wednesday and Thursday. Could he have done this from the imaginary isolation centre where he was consigned by a mischievous reporter?
“As a member of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, the minister has the added responsibility of leading by example, hence would not have hesitated to publicly announce his COVID-19 status if indeed he has contracted the virus. After all, he is not only fully vaccinated, he has also taken the booster shot, a situation that offers him different layers of protection even if he contracts the virus.”
