The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced late Thursday night that it confirmed 108 new cases of the coronavirus disease in Nigeria bring the total to 981.
In a tweet, the public health agency said 78 of the new infections were recorded in Lagos, 14 in FCT, 5 in Ogun, 4 in Gombe, 3 Borno, 2 in Akwa Ibom, and 1 each in Kwara and Plateau.
The agency said total deaths recorded in the country from the infection “now stands at 31” while 197 infected persons had been treated and discharged.
It disclosed that Nigeria now has 753 active cases as of 11:30pm on April 23.
The current breakdown of active cases by states is Lagos, 582, FCT-133, Kano-73, Ogun-29, Katsina-21, Osun-20, Oyo-17, Edo-17, Borno-12, Kwara-11, Akwa Ibom-11, and Kaduna-9. Others are – Gombe-9, Bauchi-8, Delta-6, Ekiti-4, Ondo-3, Rivers-3, Jigawa-2, Enugu-2, Niger-2, Abia-2, Benue-1, Anambra-1, Sokoto-1, Adamawa-1, and Plateau-1.
NCDC said it had adopted a strategy in which only the right set of people would be tested.
“We have a very good strategy around testing. Yes, the numbers are being thrown at us, Ghana, South Africa, and other countries but we are not playing a numbers game.
“These are human beings. Before we test anyone we go through a process to ensure that is appropriate to test the persons.
“We have a strategy and we will stick with that strategy and make sure we deliberately increase the number of testing while testing the right people at the right time,” it said.
Meanwhile, the minister of health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire said about 40 workers in Nigeria have tested positive for COVID-19, so far.
Ehanire who disclosed this at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing on yesterday cautioned health workers to ensure safety precautions are taken when treating any patient.
”This warning has become necessary due of the number of health workers who have tested positive for COVID-19; they are over forty now.
He said apart from the over 40 health workers, there are others “who have been quarantined in the last two weeks due to exposure and have not been able to contribute to efforts of the health sector.”
