No reported case of Omicron variant in Nigeria yet – FG

The Federal Government has said that no case of the highly infectious Omicron variant of the COVID-19 has been recorded in Nigeria. This follows claims by the Canadian authorities that two passengers from Nigeria had tested positive after arriving the country.

Speaking at the Presidential Steering Committee briefing in Abuja, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Ifedayo Adetifa, said there was no need to give in to speculations.

“I do not encourage citizens to waste energy on speculating. I think what we need to do is to focus on what we actually know. And what we know, for now, is that we do not have a case in Nigeria at the moment.Now, we have a pipeline of samples that are in process, whose results will be ready tomorrow; so this situation, of course, can change, he said

Also commenting, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said authorities were “adopting a watchful, waiting posture.” The Omicron variant, first detected in South Africa, is believed to be highly transmissible, but it is not yet clear how deadly it is to public health. However the World Health Organization has listed it as a variant of concern