Nigeria records highest COVID-19 cases since August

On Thursday, December 10, Nigeria recorded 675 new cases of COVID-19, its highest since 23 August when 601 cases were reported.

The highest number ever recorded since February when an index case arrived from Italy was 745 on 19 June.

Statistics released by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control NCDC shows that FCT recorded 183 new cases.

Lagos recorded 128 while Kaduna reported 85.

Other states with new cases 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.

Nigeria now has 71,344 confirmed cases of the viral disease. 65,474 patients have been discharged while 1,190 deaths have been recorded so far.

The Federal Government on Thursday said all isolation and treatment centres, which had been closed due to reduced patient load, as well as the workers , had been put on the alert for reopening .

The government also warned that the country was on the verge of a second wave of the pandemic .

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, stated these in Abuja during the press conference of the Presidential Task Force on COVID – 19.

He said , “ We are seeing the increase in the number of confirmed COVID – 19 cases in the last few days. Last week, we recorded 1, 843 against 1,235 we recorded two weeks before. In the past 24 hours, 474 new confirmed cases and two deaths were recorded .”

The minister said the number of deaths had reached 1,184 , saying, “Everyone has a role to play in the effort to prevent explosive spread of this infection in Nigeria. We must prepare for a possible second wave which we must ensure , does not get to be worse than what we have seen so far, judging from what we observe in other countries.”

Ehanire said the increase in infections stemed from rising community transmission, as well from travellers entering Nigeria, among whom government had recorded 87 positive cases against 59 in the previous week .

Ehanire who noted the first set of candidate vaccines were ready to be rolled out in Europe and the USA, said a technical working group led by the National Primary Health Development Agency was working on evaluation of prospective vaccines and Nigeria’ s vaccine needs.
He said, “We are working with WHO and GAVI led COVAX facility and other stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria will access quality vaccines, when they are deployed.

“Until vaccines are available , our best bet is still the appropriate use of face masks, physical distancing , hand sanitisers and observance of respiratory hygiene , for prevention and control . ”.

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