Nigeria on Thursday recorded more than 1000 new coronavirus cases forvthe first time, months after the first case was confirmed in the country on February 27, 2020.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 1,145 new COVID-19 cases across 23 states and the federal capital territory (FCT) in its update for December 17, 2020.
Lagos was top of the list on Thursday with 459 new positive cases, followed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with 175, and Kaduna with 138.
With the new cases, the country’s total number of confirmed cases has now exceeded 76,000.
The presidential task force (PTF) on Covid-19 has said there are indications that the country is experiencing a second wave of infections, with the Thursday new daily record coming just a day after the country confirmed its previous highest number of cases with 930 positive samples.
One person was confirmed to have died of coronavirus complications on Thursday, increasing the fatality toll to 1,201.
Data on the NCDCs website indicates that 335 people were discharged on Thursday, increasing the current total recovery count to 67,110, while the country has a total of 76,207 cases across 36 states and the FCT.
Meanwhile, at the Presidential Taskforce briefing, the Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu urged traditional and religious leaders to ensure public compliance to Covid-19 preventive measures during this festive season.
“As you celebrate, you should take responsibility by adhering to recommended safety measures,” he said.
By Abel Ejikeme
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