Nigeria records 675 new COVID-19 infections, highest daily cases in 5 months

By ABUJAH RACHEAL 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 675 new infections of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), pandemic outbreak in the country.

According to it, as of Dec. 10, 2020, six COVID-19 related deaths were recorded in the country.

The NCDC made this known via its verified website on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the new infections significantly increased from the 474 cases reported on Wednesday, Dec.9, 2020 by the centre.

The 675 is the highest the country has recorded since Aug. 23, 2020 when 601 cases were reported. The country’s highest daily COVID-19 cases so far was 745 recorded on June 19.

The center said that the new cases were reported in 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The NCDC said that the Federal Capital Territory led with 183 new infections, Lagos came a distant second with 128, followed closely by Kaduna with 85 infections.

Other states include Kwara – 57, Katsina – 50, Plateau – 42, Rivers – 39, Kano – 33, Ondo –21, Ogun – 17, Bauchi – 10, Sokoto – 5, Edo – 2, Ekiti – 1, Bayelsa – 1 and Delta – 1.

The public health agency also disclosed that 232 patients were discharged after recovering from the infection from isolation centres across the country.

The agency sadly recorded six additional COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours in the country.

“As at Dec. 10, 2020, 675 new confirmed cases and 6 deaths were recorded in the country,” it said.

The agency said that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities.

The NCDC noted that till date, 71,344 cases have been confirmed, 65,474 cases have been discharged and 1,190 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Meanwhile, the agency said that an increase in social gatherings at this time of the year was a norm across the world and advised on the need to take precautionary measures.

“We must collectively hold ourselves accountable to stay safe.

“Until a safe  and effective vaccine becomes commercially available, our best chances at preventing COVID-19 lies in adhering to recommended measures such as hand washing, physical distancing and wearing of face masks always,” it advised.

NAN reports that the country has so far tested 829,743 persons since the first confirmed case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic was announced in Feb. 27, 2020. (NAN)