#COVID-19 Updates: Lagos State Commissioner for Health Akin Abayomi has tested positive for Coronavirus

Nigeria on Sunday, August 23 recorded 322 new cases of coronavirus as confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The agency gave a breakdown of the new cases across states as follows; Lagos-130, Bauchi-36, FCT-25, Edo-17, Bayelsa-14, Ogun-14, Oyo-14, Anambra-13, Kaduna-12, Ondo-11, Abia-10, Osun-6, Plateau-5, Kwara-5, Kano-4, Ebonyi-3, Sokoto-2, Borno-1.

There are now 52,227 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country and 1002 deaths have been recorded. 38,945 patients who recovered from the disease have also been discharged.

A breakdown of cases by state can be found via https://t.co/zQrpNeOfet#TakeResponsibility pic.twitter.com/EipzUg4NHp

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) August 23, 2020

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Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi tests positive for COVID-19

It’s been revealed that the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi has tested positive for coronavirus.

This was made known in a press statement titled ‘Press release on the positive COVID-19 status of Lagos Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi’, released on Monday by the Lagos Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso.

The statement reads:

Subsequent to close contact with persons feeling unwell and testing positive for the COVID-19 infection, the Honorable Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has tested positive for the virus. Professor Abayomi became aware of his status following the required testing protocol of contact tracing procedures.

However, he is doing well with no symptoms. Adhering to the protocol of the home-based strategy in Lagos State, the Honorable Commissioner will be isolated in his home for the next 14 days but will continue to discharge his duties both as the Deputy Incident Commander of the Incident Command System for COVID-19 and most especially, as the Honorable Commissioner for Health.

Our prayers are with him and his family during his period of isolation.

Subsequent to close contact with persons feeling unwell and testing positive for the COVID-19 infection, the Honorable Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has tested positive for the virus. @jidesanwoolu @drobafemihamzat @gbenga_omo @LSMOH @gboyegaakosile @Mr_JAGss pic.twitter.com/o1Uk0ZMS1c

— The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) August 24, 2020

Adhering to the protocol of the homebased strategy in Lagos State, the Honorable Commissioner will be isolating in his home for the next 14 days#LASG #ForAGreaterLagos #Covid19LASG

— The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) August 24, 2020

Our prayers are with him and his family during his period of isolation.

Gbenga Omotoso
Information and Strategy Commissioner#LASG #ForAGreaterLagos #Covid19LASG

— The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) August 24, 2020

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The US reports more than 34,000 new COVID-19 case

Another 34,567 coronavirus infections were recorded in the United States on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The total number of cases confirmed in the US now stands at 5,703,586. JHU recorded 449 COVID-19-related deaths on Sunday. To date, at least 176,808 people have died in the US from the disease.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.

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US universities halt in-person classes and begin campus monitoring after rising coronavirus cases

As US colleges and universities try to settle into the fall semester, coronavirus cases continue to rise leading some institutions to cancel in-person instruction and implement strict rules to control the virus, CNN reports.

According to CNN,

Universities in at least 19 US states have reported outbreaks, despite health protocols on campus. Many outbreaks are tied to large group gatherings like parties, leading some schools to suspend students and organizations for breaking social distancing rules on and off-campus.

The University of Notre Dame and the University of Alabama both have seen increases in Covid-19 cases on their campuses. Notre Dame has moved to online instruction, according to its website. Meanwhile, local and university police at the University of Alabama will partner to monitor bars, restaurants and off-campus housing to ensure the city’s Covid-19 ordinances and university guidelines are followed, university President Stuart R. Bell said.

“Violations to our health and safety protocols, both on and off-campus, are subject to harsh disciplinary action, up to and including suspension from UA,” Bell wrote in a letter to the campus community on Sunday.

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Japan reports 746 new COVID-19 cases

Japan recorded 746 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said today.

The national total for coronavirus infections is now 63,219, according to the government. Five new deaths were reported on Sunday, bringing the total death toll to 1,194.

Among the new cases, 212 were reported in Tokyo. According to the city government, 51% of the new cases on Sunday were identified in patients aged in their 20s and 30s.

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South Korea confirms 266 new COVID-19 cases

Another 266 Covid-19 cases were recorded in South Korea in the past 24 hours, the vast majority of which were locally transmitted, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said today.

Among the local cases, 201 were reported in Seoul. This brings the nationwide total to 17,665 cases, while the death toll remains at 309.

Senior Health Ministry official Yoon Tae-ho said today there is a high risk of a larger outbreak, as about 20% of last week’s cases were untraceable. On Sunday, South Korea recorded 397 COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day increase since early March, according to KCDC.

The Seoul city government also announced today an anonymous Covid-19 testing option for people who do not wish to reveal their identity. They can now take a test by providing a valid phone number without having to disclose other personal information, authorities said.

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New Zealand reports 8 new coronavirus cases

On Monday, New Zealand recorded eight new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, seven of which were locally transmitted.

The total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand now stands at 1,332. No new deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving the countrywide death toll at 22.

All seven of the new local cases were linked to the existing cluster in Auckland, New Zealand’s Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said at a news conference. He added that one imported case was also reported.

Bloomfield said 4,589 coronavirus tests were conducted on Sunday, bringing the total number of tests administered across the country to 697,070. Nearly 100,000 tests have been conducted in the past week, according to Bloomfield.

The new cases come as New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is set to make a decision later today on whether to extend coronavirus restrictions in the country, after they were reimposed on August 14 following the new outbreak, CNN reports.

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Peru reports more than 3,700 new coronavirus cases

Peru’s Health Ministry reported 3,706 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases confirmed in the country to 594,326.

The ministry also reported 210 new deaths, raising the death toll to 27,933.

On Saturday, at least 13 people were killed in a stampede at a nightclub in Lima, as partygoers attempted to escape a police raid on the venue. Police were called to shut down an illegal party with more than 120 people in attendance.

Social distancing measures are mandated in Peru, large social gatherings are banned and there is a nationwide 10 p.m. curfew to slow the spread of the virus.