Nigeria has put six states on red alert after seeing a “worrisome” rise in Covid-19 infections, a government official has said, urging people to curb gatherings and hold prayers outside mosques during this week's Muslim festival of Eidul Azha.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, like most parts of the continent now, is facing a Covid-19 third wave after detecting the more transmissible Delta variant.

The head of the presidential steering committee on Covid-19, Boss Mustapha, has said Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory have been placed on red alert as part of preventive measures against the pandemic.

A red alert allows authorities in the states to restrict celebrations and gatherings to a minimum.

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