Lagos State records 807 new COVID-19 cases

Lagos State registered 807 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The NCDC, which made this known on its verified website, said the country recorded 1,565, bringing the total to 95,934.

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The centre said that 24 states recorded the new infections with Lagos leading with 807 cases while the FCT has 236.

Others are: Kaduna-79, Oyo-57, Plateau-47, Rivers-37, Katsina-35, Edo-30, Sokoto-30, Delta-26, Kebbi-23, Ondo-20 and Enugu-18.

In addition, Abia has 17, Ogun-17, Benue-16, Bayelsa-15, Bauchi-14, Niger-13, Kano-10, Borno-six Imo-five, Ekiti-fourand Osun-two and Jigawa-one.

The centre also said that Nigeria reported six COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours.

The centre said that, out of the 95,934 total case, 77,982 patients recovered and were discharged.

It said discharges today include 314 community recoveries in Lagos State, 158 in Kaduna State and 84 in Plateau.

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

Lagos, Abuja top

The agency stated that the infections had been on the rise since December 2020 with cases still concentrated in two major cities, Lagos state and FCT.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NCDC has so far tested 1,004,915 persons since the first confirmed case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic was announced in the country in February 2020.

NAN also reports that, on Dec. 22, 2020, the federal government imposed new restrictions amid the rising cases of COVID-19 in various parts of the country.

The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, explained that the directives were advisories issued to state authorities for implementation in the next five weeks.

The new restrictions include civil servants from Grade Level 12 and below to stay at home for the next five weeks; the closure of all bars, nightclubs, pubs and event centres, as well as recreational venues in all states and the FCT.

All restaurants were also directed to close, except those providing services to hotel residents, takeaways, home deliveries, and drive-ins.

Similarly, all informal and formal festivity events, including weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, end of year events, have been restricted to not more than 50 people. (NAN)