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Philippines

Nigeria's health minister warns on second wave of COVID-19

Philippines

Nigeria's health minister warns on second wave of COVID-19

By Agence France-Presse

Nigeria's health minister has warned of a second wave in the coronavirus pandemic following a sudden rise in infections in the vast west African nation, his office said Thursday.

Osagie Ehanire said 1,843 cases were recorded last week compared with 1,235 two weeks ago.

"We may just be on the verge of a second wave of this pandemic," the minister said.

Rising infections could be blamed on people failing to uphold preventive measures like mask-wearing, hand-washing and physical distancing, Ehanire said.

He added that he had directed health authorities to reopen isolation and treatment centres which had been closed as case numbers fell.

South Africa, another of the continent's heavyweight nations, announced Wednesday it had entered a second wave of Covid-19.

Nigeria recorded its highest number of infections in five months on Thursday, with 675 new cases after 550 on Wednesday, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The country had seen a drop in infections since the start of October with a daily average of less than 200 cases.

Health authorities feared Nigeria might not be able to cope with a second wave because of its weak health facilities and poorly equipped and ill-motivated personnel.

Ehanire said that when available, Covid-19 vaccines would go to frontline health workers and the most vulnerable first.

So far, the virus has infected 71,344 people and claimed 1,190 lives in the nation of 200 million people.

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