Ebuka Onyeji, Premiumtimes
Nigeria on Sunday recorded its highest daily figure of confirmed COVID-19 cases in nearly three months, as 300 new infections were announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
With the latest update, the total tally of infected people in the country rose to 64,090.
The new cases were reported from just six states with Lagos bearing the brunt with 255 confirmed cases. The commercial city is Nigeria’s coronavirus hotspot with nearly 22,000 infections, about a third of the country’s total.
The remaining five states are FCT (27), Oyo (10), Kaduna (5), Ondo (2), Kano (1).
Nigeria’s coronavirus daily infection rate had been below 300 for almost three months until Sunday’s figure which will now further fuel repeated concerns by the government and health experts of an imminent second wave.
Nigeria’s new COVID-19 infections have increased in the last two weeks, a PREMIUM TIMES review of official data shows, suggesting a possible resurgence in COVID-19 cases after weeks of low numbers.
Last week (November 1-7), the country recorded 937 new cases, a two per cent increase from the previous week’s record of 923 cases which was a 32 per cent an increase from the preceding week.
Some European and American countries that thought they had passed the worst stage of the pandemic are seeing an increase in new cases, raising concerns over a possible second wave with many countries imposing a second round of lockdown.
Both Nigerians and the government appear to be lax about adhering to and enforcing COVID-19 safety protocols lately, a situation health experts fear could trigger a dire outcome if a new wave of the disease eventually comes.
The latest NCDC update is coming about two weeks after the #EndSARS protest, in which Nigerian youth demanded the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian police.
Thousands of youth trooped out across the country especially in its capital, Abuja, and the commercial nerve, Lagos, defying repeated calls by the country’s infectious disease outfit, NCDC, and health experts to avoid mass gathering.
Several COVID-19 protocols including the use of face masks and maintenance of social distancing were breached as there were mammoth crowds of protesters packed in tight spaces without face masks.
Similar situations occurred in Ondo and Edo states where governorship elections were held and large political gatherings held without social distancing and use of face masks.
Nigeria has reopened schools which further increases social activities as the country tries to live with the disease and manage the damage it is causing to her economy.
Meanwhile, no deaths were recorded as a result of complications from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours meaning that the fatality stays at 1,154.
Of the over 64,000 cases so far, 59,910 cases have been discharged in the 36 states across the country and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 686,395 tests have been carried out across Nigeria.
There are still about 3,000 active cases in the West African nation.
