Date: 2021-02-16

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 29 cases of the United Kingdom (UK) variant of COVID-19 in six states.

It stated the UK variant - B.1.1.7, has been detected in Edo, Kwara, Lagos, Osun, Oyo and FCT.

Speaking during the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on covid-19 briefing in Abuja, the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Chikwe Iheakwazu, commended scientists at the Africa Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases at the Redeemers University in Ede, Osun State.

He said: "We have now confirmed a total of 29 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant and this has been confirmed in Edo, Kwara, Lagos, Osun, Oyo and FCT.

"So we continue looking out for this and working towards mitigating any impact it might have on our response."

Stressing that it will continue to ramp up genomic sequencing and surveillance, the NCDC boss noted the dominant strain in South Africa – the B.1.351 variant was yet to be detected in the country.