…With 1,145 new infections on Thursday
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has formally declared a second wave of the deadly COVID-19 virus in Nigeria as infections continue to increase across the country.
This was stated on Thursday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, (who has also tested positive for the virus) during the daily media briefing.
Boss Mustapha, who was represented during the briefing by Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said that Nigeria has entered a second wave of infections and stands the risk of losing the gains from the hard work of the last nine months battling the pandemic.
According to Boss Mustapha, there is a need to step up testing and detection for the deadly virus to minimize the loss of lives and ensure the rising curve begins to flatten out.
He said; “If we do the right things, adhere to the Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) and step up our testing and detection, loss of lives will be minimized and the rising curve will begin to flatten out.
Boss Mustapha added that while the country in the last two weeks on the one hand, received cheering news of the COVID-19 vaccine on the other hand, “we have witnessed spikes in the number of infections at home and abroad. The real threat is upon humanity and the progress made in the global health sector in the last five decades or more.”
He said Nigeria’s cumulative numbers in the last weeks of 49-51 showed: “Week 49 – 1,843; Week 50 – 3,918 and Week 51 (Mon-Wed): 1,889.
On Thursday, Nigeria recorded its highest single-day tally after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 1,145 fresh COVID-19 cases in several parts of the country.
The centre, which disclosed this on its Twitter handle, said the new COVID-19 cases were recorded in 23 states of the Federation and Abuja.
It added that the number of COVID-19 fatalities in Nigeria stood at 1,201 as of Thursday night.
Also, the total number of confirmed cases increased to 76,207.
Meanwhile, 67,110 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from various isolation facilities in the country.
The breakdown of the figure on a state-by-state basis revealed the following: Lagos (459), FCT (145), Kaduna (138), Plateau (80), Katsina (70), Gombe (52), Niger (31), Kano (23), Bayelsa (21), Bauchi (18), Ondo (18), Rivers (17), Ogun (12), and Oyo (12).
Others are – Edo (8), Nasarawa (8), Ebonyi (7), Osun (6), Ekiti (5), Kebbi (5), Borno (4), Jigawa (3), Akwa Ibom (2), and Anambra (1).
“Total confirmed COVID-19 cases: 76,207.
“Discharged: 67,110 and deaths: 1,201.”