Coronavirus: With 324 new infections, Nigeria, again, records high number of cases

Cases of coronavirus infections in Nigeria rose sharply in two days with 324 new cases recorded on Friday taking the total to 667 in the last 48 hours, according to health authorities.

The 343 cases reported earlier on Thursday were the highest since late August and had taken the country’s total to over 68,000.

The 324 infections recorded on Friday were from 11 states, taking the total number of cases to 68,627.

No death was reported from the disease on Friday, meaning that the number of fatalities remains 1,179.

Meanwhile, of the over 68,000 infections, 64,467 have been discharged from hospitals after treatment while over 3,000 active cases remain in the country.

This is according to an update Friday night by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The 324 new cases were reported from Lagos (115), FCT (110), Kaduna (57), Taraba (9), Akwa Ibom (8), Plateau (6), Bauchi (4), Ekiti (4), Kano(4), Katsina (4) and Rivers (3).

Again, Lagos and the FCT, the two most affected cities, led in Friday’s tally with 115 and 110 new cases respectively.

The update came even as the global tally surpassed 66 million infections and 1.5 million deaths amid a devastating second wave of infections in many parts of the world.

There is optimism in the treatment of the virus as at least two vaccines have shown over 90 per cent effectiveness during trials, according to the manufaturers.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the UK, on Wednesday, became the first country to approve the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine which has 95 per cent effectiveness.

In Nigeria, the Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, had said efforts are being made to ensure that Nigerians have access to the vaccines when they become available.

“We have to start preparing Nigerian population for vaccine delivery when it becomes available,” he said.

“Access is a very key issue when it comes to vaccines; that a vaccine is developed does not necessarily translate to being available to those that need it the most.”

The Nigerian government has also inaugurated an 18-member national COVID-19 task team to ensure “vaccine security” when it finally gets to the country.

Nigeria has so far tested over 760,000 of its 200 million population for the virus.

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has also advised Nigerians to suspend their Christmas and New Year travels to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.