…As FG directs NCDC to conduct 450 tests in each LGA
Nigeria, on Monday, recorded 1,617 new cases of COVID-19 infections in the country.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which disclosed this on its Twitter handle, said the new COVID-19 cases were recorded in 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It added that the number of COVID-19 fatalities in Nigeria stood at 1,449 as of Monday night.
Also, the total number of confirmed cases increased to 112,004.
Meanwhile, 89,939 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 (776), Kaduna (147), Kwara (131), FCT (102), Plateau (78), Edo (59), Ogun (53), Osun (45), Rivers (37), and Taraba (36).
Others are – Nasarawa (34), Adamawa (33), Kano (26), Delta (20), Ebonyi (16), Bayelsa (11), Gombe (11), and Borno (2).
“Total confirmed COVID-19 cases: 112,004.
“Discharged: 89,939 and deaths: 1,449.”
Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 announced on Monday that the NCDC would carry out 450 tests in each of the 744 local government areas of the country.
The PTF Chairman, Boss Mustapha, who disclosed this at task force media briefing in Abuja, said the tests would commence immediately in a few states in the country.
This means that the government will conduct 348,300 COVID-19 tests in the 774 local government areas of the country.
He said: “We are aware that states are not on the same pedestal in the area of testing, and we shall begin with the states that are in the forefront of resourcing and infrastructure.”
He also revealed that Nigeria has moved up to third position globally in terms of spread of the COVID-19
Mustapha added: “In Africa, South Africa and Nigeria continue to report highest daily count, while South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Algeria, and Kenya account for 76 percent of all cases in the region.
“Nigeria has moved up to third position in highest cumulative COVID-19 caseload, but remains second for new cases and fifth highest in cumulative deaths on the World Health Organisation (WHO) African region.
“From the foregoing, testing has proven to have become more significant in our national response.
“The PTF still urge the state governments to enable their Emergency Operations Centres (EOC) to step up on sample collection and to maximise the capacities of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Laboratories already established in their states.”
On COVID-19 vaccines, the chairman said: “The positive news about vaccines remains high in the ranking of discussions nationwide.
“Nigerians are assured that PTF will ensure that the vaccines to be approved will be safe and effective.
“We must, however, work together as foot soldiers in the COVID-19 vaccine advocacy so that we can eliminate the pandemic.
“The PTF wishes to emphasise that the success of our national response shall not depend on vaccines alone.
“Rather, compliance with the non-pharmaceutical protocols must remain top on our individual priorities.”