Amid a steep rise in the number of affected persons down with the Delta variant of Covid-19, the Federal government is contemplating what it calls “precision lockdown” in states and local governments where the disease is more widespread. The Delta variant is believed to be more contagious and deadlier.

On Friday, 13th of August 2021, 636 new confirmed cases and 12 deaths were recorded in Nigeria. Cumulatively, more than 20 percent of the number of deaths recorded nationally occurred in Lagos.

The 636 new cases are reported from 17 states- Lagos (291), Rivers (117), Taraba (58), Akwa Ibom (54), Kwara (28), Ekiti (14), Ogun (14), FCT (13), Oyo (11), Edo (9), Osun (6), Bayelsa (5), Delta (4), Gombe (4), Abia (3), Plateau (3), and Sokoto (1)

As of today (Saturday August 14) 181,297 cases have been confirmed, 166,709 cases have been discharged and 2,211 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

On Wednesday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced 790 cases of new COVID-19 infections. The figure was the highest in about six months and a sharp increase from the 610 cases it registered on Tuesday, twenty-four hours earlier.

The NCDC noted that states were struggling to curb the spread of the Delta variant, with the situation becoming alarming, particularly in Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Oyo states.

Due to the spread, NCDC observed that Lagos set a new record for COVID-19 on Wednesday with 574 cases, and infections in Rivers State jumped to 83; Ondo, 38; Ogun, 31; Oyo, 23; Delta, 10; FCT, nine; Ekiti, seven; Edo, six; and Osun, four. It also disclosed that the country’s active cases had soared to 11,500.

The NCDC warned that the Delta strain had shown its efficacy in infecting younger people as against the older strains of the virus.

On the possibility of another lockdown of the economy, Minister for Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire said countries have been a bit circumspect in the decision to impose a total lockdown as was seen at the beginning of the outbreak last year.

He opined that Nigeria would rather employ precision lockdowns on specific areas of the country that have come under threat.

“There’s no more generalised lockdown. So many countries do what we call precision lockdown. So that everybody will not be affected and there will not be too much damage to the economy and social life. And we are not at the level yet where we are feeling that threat to do any lockdown. We do not have that on the table right now.”

In the meantime, a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), has been activated to coordinate the national response activities.

Also Lagos State has fully activated 10 COVID Oxygen Treatment and Sample Collection Centres as well as 20 local council-based COVID Sample Collection sites.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this while reviewing reports of his ministry’s operations. He said the Centres have been reinvigorated to provide swift oxygen therapy to residents who require it and easy access to COVID-19 testing for those willing to test for the infection.

He explained that the 10 COVID Oxygen Treatment and Sample Collection Centres were established as dual purpose facilities and strategically located in 10 local councils with a high burden of infection cases to provide oxygen support and serve as COVID sample collection base to residents.

“The reactivation of these centres and sites are part of the strategies adopted in response to the recent increase in COVID-19 infection occasioned by the third wave of new strains,” Professor Abayomi said, adding that the state government is doing all within its powers to ramp up testing and improve on its management of Coronavirus cases by providing citizens with support and seamless access to quality and efficient care services to lower the curve of third wave and prevent the infection from further spreading.