The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), announced on Thursday that 675 new confirmed Covid-19 cases and six deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
This is the highest number of daily infections recorded since 23rd August 2020 when 601 cases were reported.
“Till date, 71,344 cases have been confirmed, 65,474 cases have been discharged and 1,190 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” NCDC said.
The latest 675 new cases were reported from 16 states: FCT (183), Lagos (128), Kaduna (85), 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).
NCDC said a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities.
Meanwhile the Nigerian government has ordered reopening of isolation centres over possible second wave of COVID-19.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said the move was to prepare the country for a possible second wave of the pandemic already hitting some European countries.
“We are seeing the increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the last few days, which we have frequently alluded to in recent times.
“This rightly suggests that we may just be on the verge of a second wave of this pandemic,” Mr Ehanire said at a media briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
“To prepare ourselves, I have directed that all Isolation and Treatment Centres, which were hitherto closed due to reduced patient load, to be prepared for reopening and the staff complement put on alert,” he added.
In September 2020, a survey carried out by Nairametrics Research revealed that Nigerians had abandoned the use of face masks, hand sanitizers and social distancing practices as they go about their daily businesses. That’s a worrying finding considering the resurgence in COVID-19 cases in most parts of the world.
SOURCES: NCDC and NAIRAMETRICS