By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Amid the new strain of the newest Omicron variant in Nigeria, the Nigerian Center for Disease Control, NCDC, has warned that Nigeria risks a fourth wave of COVID-19 is travelers fail to observe the safety travel protocols.
This warning was given today in a press statement signed by the NCDC Director General, Dr. Ifedayo Adetife today as the agency reacts to the new discovery of three cases of Omicron virus in Nigerians.
The statement read, ” We appeal to Nigerians to adhere to these travel protocols to prevent a fourth wave of COVID-19 in the country as we combat the pandemic and these emerging variants including the Delta variant.”
The NCDC said the Omicron variant also known as B.1.1.529 lineage was discovered from the routine travel test required of all international travelers and geromic sequencing at the NCDC through the National Reference Laboratory , NRL, which confirmed it’s controversial first case.
According to the agency the genomic sequencing of positive cases from routine day two test for all travelers to Nigeria .
NCDC said, ” It identified two cases of Omicron variant among travelers from South Africa who arrived Nigeria last week.”
The two recent cases through asymptomatic have been likely linked to clinical care and other response activities which include contact tracing have commenced, adding that arrangements have been made to notify their country to commence in country response.
The statement read, ‘ NCDC assumes this new variant is widespread globally with possible community transmission ongoing in Nigeria.
Our focus remains to prioritize the genomic sequencing of recently accrued samples of SARD- COV-2 positive travelers from all countries that have reported the Omicron variant, Adetifa said.
Furthermore the agency warns that the virus is more likely to spread where people gather and do not adhere to public health measures , adding that the best option for Nigeria to interrupt the transmission of the virus is only through vaccination and adherence to proven safety measures.
