The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 1,368 new infections of COVID-19 Tuesday.
In a Twitter update via its verified handle, the government agency said there are now 148,296 confirmed cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus in Nigeria.
It said a total of 124,483 people have so far been discharged from hospital, while the number of deaths so far is 1,777.
As of Tuesday, more than 109.4 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, with more than 61.5 million of those cases listed as recovered or resolved on a tracking site maintained by Johns Hopkins University. The global death toll stood at more than 2.4 million.
In Africa, the CBC reported, South Africa plans to share the one million AstraZeneca vaccine doses it received from the Serum Institute of India with other African countries via the African Union, a senior health official said on Tuesday. The country paused the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine this month, after preliminary trial data showed it offered minimal protection against mild to moderate illness from the country’s dominant coronavirus variant.
It plans to start inoculating health-care workers with Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine as soon as this week in a research study.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia’s regulator on Tuesday approved the AstraZeneca vaccine as its second for use against the coronavirus. Pfizer’s product will be available in Australia next week. It will be given in two doses three weeks apart, while AstraZeneca’s will be administered in two doses 12 weeks apart.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the regulator, found the AstraZeneca vaccine was safe and effective. Health Minister Greg Hunt said the vaccine will prevent serious COVID-19 illness.
Morrison will be vaccinated with the Pfizer product and Hunt with AstraZeneca in a demonstration of confidence in both vaccines.
Australia has procured 53.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and 50 million of those will be manufactured in Australia. The government has also secured 20 million Pfizer vaccines for a population of 26 million.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that scientists have identified another new variant of coronavirus in the UK with some potentially troubling mutations.
B.1.525 appears similar to the South African variant which prompted door-to-door tests in areas where it has been found.
Researchers from Edinburgh University have found 38 cases so far – 2 in Wales and 36 in England – in samples dating back to December.
It has been seen in other countries, including Denmark, Nigeria and the US.
