COVID-19: Nigeria records 40 new infections, total now 166,019

By ABUJAH RACHEAL

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has recorded 40 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 166,019.

The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Sunday.

It stated that the 40 additional infections were from seven states – “Lagos (29), Abia (3), Ogun (3), Kano (2), Kaduna (1), Plateau (1), and Rivers (1).

“The latest report includes zero cases from Ekiti, FCT, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Sokoto States,” it stated.

The agency said that till date, 166,019 cases had been confirmed, 156,476 discharged and 2,067 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

It added that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 2, had continued to coordinate the national response activities.

The NCDC said that the agency had tested over two million people since the beginning of the pandemic on Feb. 27, 2020.

It stated that there are about 7,476 active cases in the country.

Meanwhile, NCDC has advised Nigerians to stick to all non-pharmaceutical preventive measures of COVID-19 that will help to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

“Wash your hands with soap under running water, wear your face mask properly, maintain a distance of two metres from the person next to you,” it said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 has declared 108 airline passengers possible public health threats for evading the mandatory seven-day quarantine period for visitors into the country.

It reports that the passengers arrived Nigeria from Brazil, India and Turkey.

The PSC on COVID-19 said the identified individuals failed to observe the newly-instituted mandatory protocols put in place against the spread of coronavirus.

According to it, the passengers included 27 Indians and 63 Nigerians, who arrived Nigeria through the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The PSC said that the affected airlines are Ethiopian airlines and Qatar airways, adding that the 27 Indian violators are categorised as unregistered.

It said the dates of their arrival were between May 8 and May 15, noting that they “evaded the mandatory seven-day quarantine for persons arriving from restricted countries.” (NAN)