COVID-19: NCDC confirms 1,883 new infections in Nigeria in one day

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 1,883 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections, bringing the total number of infected people in the country to 130,557.

The NCDC disclosed this on its official website late Saturday.

It was reported that the country has so far tested 1,270,523 people since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was recorded in Nigeria on Feb. 27, 2020.

The health agency also confirmed one coronavirus-related death in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 1,578 in Nigeria.

NCDC noted that the 1,883 new COVID-19 infections occurred in 22 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It stated that Lagos State registered the highest number with 1,040 infections, taking the total number of infected people in the state to 48,919.

The NCDC said that the FCT came second with 298 new infections, upping the total number of cases in the nation’s capital to 16,863.

In the states 86 new people were infected in Anambra; Rivers-54; Taraba-45; Ogun-42; Oyo-40; Akwa Ibom-38, Sokoto-30, Ebonyi-30, and Imo and Kaduna reported 28 new cases each.

Osun came up with 27 new infected people; Kano-21; Benue-19; Edo-17; Gombe-15; Ekiti-nine; Delta-eight; Jigawa-three; Kwara-two; Bayelsa-two and Plateau-one.

The NCDC also announced that 932 COVID-19 patients were successfully treated and discharged from the various isolation centres in Nigeria.

According to the health agency, the discharges include 461 community recoveries in Lagos State that were managed in line with NCDC guidelines.

The public health agency noted that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, is coordinating response activities nationwide.

Meanwhile, the NCDC issued an advisory on social distancing, adding that it was a strategy to reduce physical contacts between people with the aim of slowing down and reducing the spread of COVID-19.

It stated that the measures involved strict adherence to “non-physical greetings (avoiding hand shakes or hugs), and observing physical distancing.

The NCDC said that it had also launched a communications campaign tagged “Take Responsibility’’ under which it is encouraging people to be proactive in taking greater individual and collective responsibilities to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

“Through social distancing, you can protect yourself, loved ones and society at large. This is an effective way to limit the chances of catching the virus, slowing down the transmission and reducing the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria,“ the health agency advised Nigerians.