Nigeria records 749 new infections

By RACHEAL ABUJAH

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has registered 749 new infections of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

The NCDC made this known via its verified website on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the country has so far tested 937,712 people since the first COVID-19 confirmed case was made known on Feb. 27.

The public health agency said that the new infections were recorded in 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the total number of infections in the country was now 85,560.

The NCDC stated that 71,937 patients had recovered from the virus and discharged as 580 new patients were discharged from isolation centres across the country.

It noted that the death toll from the virus increased by three, raising the total number of deaths to 1,267 nationwide.

“Our discharges today include 279 community recoveries in Lagos State and 106 community recoveries in the FCT, managed in line with guidelines,” it said.

Of the new infections, the NCDC stated that Lagos State recorded 299 new cases, followed by Plateau with 131 cases and Kaduna with 83 cases.

The FCT recorded 74 new infections, Kwara, 35; Sokoto, 26; Edo, 18; and Kano had 17.

Katsina got 16 newly infected people; Delta, 11; Nasarawa, 10; Ondo and Bauchi had nine each Rivers, five; Akwa Ibom, three; Jigawa, Osun and Ekiti had one each.

The NCDC said that a multi-sectoral National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), activated at Level Three, was coordinating the response activities nationwide.

The agency noted that to date Week 52 had the highest number of infections.

“The analysis shows that 16 out of every 100 tests carried out are positive. We are also seeing increasing transmission among younger people and this is not considered good and safe.

“We must, therefore, exercise utmost restraint by taking responsibility,” the NCDC stated. (NAN)