The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Sunday that it was keeping an eye on new evidence on the new COVID-19 strain, Omicron, which was discovered in Southern Africa very lately.
The new variety is “is considered highly transmissible” and has already provoked a new wave of travel restrictions aimed at Southern African countries.
However, the NCDC stated in a statement signed by its Director-General, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, that “the fears about its ability to evade protective immune responses and its being vaccine-resistant are only theoretical so far.”
The NCDC asked Nigerians to take adequate precautions, stressing that the “WHO and researchers across the world are working at speed to gain an understanding of the likely impact of this variant on the severity of COVID-19 and the potency of existing vaccines and therapeutics,”
The disease control agency recommended Nigerians to “make every use of the currently available opportunities to get vaccinated against COVID-19.”
It also emphasized the importance of citizens adhering to public health and social measures such as wearing face masks, hand washing, and physical distance.
“Avoid travel to countries where there is a surge in COVID-19 cases or reported cases of the Omicron variant,” the NCDC said.
“Avoid all non-essential travel, both local and international. If you must travel, please adhere to travel protocols instituted by the PSC-COVID-19, which are in place to prevent the risk of importation of the virus or its variants to Nigeria.”
“The virus is more likely to spread where people gather and do not adhere to these measures.
“Therefore, we appeal to business owners, religious leaders, and people in authority to take responsibility by ensuring people in their premises wear masks and adhere to physical distancing.
“We must do all we can to protect ourselves and our country.”
