Infections Hit 18-Week High As NCDC Logs 317 Cases

Health experts are afraid the imminent third wave of the
coronavirus pandemic may have already hit the country as Nigeria on
Friday recorded 317 fresh cases of the dreaded infection.

The country also reported one death from the pandemic, raising
the nation’s death toll since the outbreak to 2,131.

The latest data of the new cases, according to statistics
released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), is the
highest daily tally recorded in the country in more than four
months.

The last time such a high daily figure was recorded was on March
10 when 394 cases were reported.

The new development may not be unconnected to the discovery of
the Delta variant of the virus which has been described by the
World Health Organisation as the “most transmissible.”

The disease centre posted the latest update on its official
Facebook page on Saturday morning, noting that Friday’s figure has
increased the country’s total infection tally to 170,623.

The new cases were, according to the NCDC, recorded in 10 states
and the federal capital territory (FCT).

Lagos, for the umpteenth time, reported the highest figure from
the daily tally with 172 cases and this is followed by Akwa Ibom
State which reported 62 cases.

In Oyo State, South-west Nigeria, 33 cases were registered,
followed by 32 reported in Rivers State.

Ekiti and the FCT reported five infections each while Ogun
recorded three, Sokoto, two, and the trio of Bayelsa, Gombe and
Kano States registered one each.

Of the 170,623 persons infected by the disease in Nigeria since
the outbreak in February, 2020, a total of 164,780 have been
discharged from hospitals after treatment.

With the recent increase in daily cases, the active cases in the
country now stands at 3,240.

Nigeria has tested over 2.4 million samples for COVID-19 across
the country.

Health experts are afraid the imminent third wave of the
coronavirus pandemic may have already hit the country as Nigeria on
Friday recorded 317 fresh cases of the dreaded infection.

The country also reported one death from the pandemic, raising
the nation’s death toll since the outbreak to 2,131.

The latest data of the new cases, according to statistics
released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), is the
highest daily tally recorded in the country in more than four
months.

The last time such a high daily figure was recorded was on March
10 when 394 cases were reported.

The new development may not be unconnected to the discovery of
the Delta variant of the virus which has been described by the
World Health Organisation as the “most transmissible.”

The disease centre posted the latest update on its official
Facebook page on Saturday morning, noting that Friday’s figure has
increased the country’s total infection tally to 170,623.

The new cases were, according to the NCDC, recorded in 10 states
and the federal capital territory (FCT).

Lagos, for the umpteenth time, reported the highest figure from
the daily tally with 172 cases and this is followed by Akwa Ibom
State which reported 62 cases.

In Oyo State, South-west Nigeria, 33 cases were registered,
followed by 32 reported in Rivers State.

Ekiti and the FCT reported five infections each while Ogun
recorded three, Sokoto, two, and the trio of Bayelsa, Gombe and
Kano States registered one each.

Of the 170,623 persons infected by the disease in Nigeria since
the outbreak in February, 2020, a total of 164,780 have been
discharged from hospitals after treatment.

With the recent increase in daily cases, the active cases in the
country now stands at 3,240.

Nigeria has tested over 2.4 million samples for COVID-19 across
the country.