Nigerians Returning from Christmas Holidays Isolated in the US and Australia
After a six-week surge, Africa’s fourth pandemic wave driven mainly by the Omicron variant is flattening out, marking the shortest surge to date on the continent, where cumulative cases now exceed 10 million, the WHO said. World Health Organization.
According to the world health body, as of January 11, there have been 10.2 million cases of COVID-19 in Africa, adding that weekly cases plateaued in the seven days to January 9, compared to the last week.
“Southern Africa, which saw a large increase in infections during the pandemic wave, saw a 14 percent decline in infections over the past week. South Africa, where Omicron was first reported, saw a nine percent drop in weekly infections. The Eastern and Central African regions also experienced a drop,” the WHO said.
However, North and West Africa witnessed a spike in cases, with North Africa reporting a 121 percent increase last week compared to the previous week.
The world health body in a statement made available to Newslodge, said that across the continent, although deaths rose by 64 percent in the seven days ending January 9, compared to the previous week, mainly Due to infections among people at high risk, deaths in the fourth wave were lower than in previous waves.
“Hospitalizations have remained low. In South Africa, for example, COVID-19 patients currently occupy around nine percent of its more than 5,600 intensive care unit beds. In countries experiencing a surge in cases, the rapidly spreading Omicron variant has become the dominant type.”
The WHO noted that while it took around four weeks for the Delta variant to overtake the previously dominant Beta, Omicron overtook Delta within two weeks in the most affected African countries.
“Early indications suggest that Africa’s fourth wave has been abrupt and brief, but no less destabilizing. The crucial pandemic countermeasure that is sorely needed in Africa remains, and that is to rapidly and significantly scale up vaccines against COVID-19. The next wave might not be so forgiving,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Meanwhile, Nigerians living in Australia and the United States are being monitored by police and other agencies in their host countries to ensure that they (Nigerians) are confined within their facilities for two weeks upon their return from Christmas celebrations.
Newslodge has learned that its host countries’ resolve to ensure that travelers do not carry the deadly Omicron variant of COVID-19 back to their countries as they strive to contain the pandemic necessitated this measure.
According to sources, many Nigerians who visited the country over Christmas were not allowed free movement in their host countries within two weeks of arrival to ensure they self-isolate.
A doctor, Madueke James, who spoke to the Guardian yesterday at Lagos International Airport before moving to Australia, said his wife had to go to the market to buy all the things they need for the two weeks to make sure they they don’t get in trouble with the Australian police, who would do a routine check on them to make sure they don’t leave their homes.
He said any major items, not purchased by his wife prior to their arrival, would have to be purchased online and delivered to their doorstep without any human contact with the delivery agent.
He said: “Once I get home now, none of my family members will be able to leave my compound. In fact, we can’t go to church or the market. My children will not go to school either. But luckily for me, they are on vacation until February 9, 2022.
“Police will be coming in at intervals to monitor us and make sure we don’t move forward until the two weeks are up when we will run another test. The one we carried out was for us to enter the country first. And the test must be within 48 hours.
“I did mine in Awka, the capital of Anambra state, before coming to Lagos yesterday (Thursday) to catch my flight today. Is not easy. Even when I came, some Immigration officers asked me why I was traveling this time. But I told them I had a mother to bury. And one of them told me, what if they don’t let you go back to the country? I told him, then, I will go to any country they want me to go to.”
In another development, US-based Nigerian Ebenezer Godswill said the same fate awaits them when they travel back to the US, saying they will be asked to self-isolate for two weeks before being allowed to mix with the rest of other citizens.
Ebenezer said: “From the airport, I am going directly to a hotel that I have booked for self-isolation. Not going to church or work until the systems certify me well. I’m not even going to meet my family.”
Ms. Gladyce Okere, who was also traveling to the US with her daughter, said she was prepared for the problem, saying what she was looking for was more important than the two weeks of isolation with her teenage daughter.
“We will go into lockdown as soon as we set foot on the ground in the States,” he said.