The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, on Wednesday confirmed the first case of Omicron variant in Nigeria.
In a press statement signed by the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, the Centre said in line with the routine travel test required of all international travellers and Genomic sequencing at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) through Its National Reference Laboratory (NRL), Abuja–confirmed Nigeria’s first case of the Omicron variant, also known as the B.1.1.529 lineage.
The Omicron variant, a new strain of the coronavirus disease, was reported by South Africa and first detected in Botswana.
In respect of the discovery, countries such as the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Israel among others placed travel bans on southern African countries.
Similarly, the government of Canada had also stated that it discovered two cases of the variant from two passengers from Nigeria, the Federal Government through the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 had, however, said that it was investigating the issue to get more details.
More details to come.
