The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday has announced a staggering 117 cases of coronavirus in Nigeria taking the new total to 782 across the country.
Nine patients were however discharged on same day with three more deaths reported from the virus.
The centre for disease control is tracing thousands of residents who have contact with asymptomatic cases.
“117 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported; 59 in Lagos, 29 in FCT, 14 in Kano, six in Borno, four in Katsina, three in Ogun, one in Rivers and one in Bauchi.
“As at 11:25 pm 21st April there are 782 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Nigeria.
NCDC explained that some cases in Lagos – the epicentre of the pandemic in Nigeria – were moved to neighbouring Ogun where the index case in Nigeria was detected.
“Five cases previously reported in Lagos State have been transferred to Ogun State. Therefore, Lagos has reported 430 confirmed cases while Ogun has reported 20 confirmed cases,” NCDC noted.
According to the NCDC, the two states and FCT are part of the top five states with most coronavirus cases in Nigeria.
Here’s a breakdown by the NCDC. Lagos has recorded 430 cases more than half of the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria.
The FCT has 118 cases while Kano has 73 cases. Both Ogun and Osun have 20 coronavirus cases each.
Oyo-16, Katsina-16, Edo-15, Kwara-9, Kaduna-9, Akwa Ibom-9, Borno-9 and Bauchi-8.
Other states are, Gombe-5, Delta-4, Ekiti-4, Ondo-3, Rivers-3, Jigawa-2, Enugu-2, Niger-2, Abia-2, Benue-1, Anambra-1 and Sokoto-1.
Chronicle NG reports that the new numbers further cast doubt on whether the government will extend the 14-day lockdown extension in Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
A group – 2014 Nigeria Movement, wants the Federal Government to shut down the entire country immediately with a view to checking the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The group says the current method of locking down states in batches is not in the interest of the majority of Nigerians as “those cleared states can be re-infected if other states are not also cleared at the same time.”
“This would lead to prolonged closure of some states thereby hurting the masses of our people who live subsistent lives of daily wages and incomes,” it said in a statement yesterday by its National Policy Adviser, David Esosa Ize-Iyamu.
Ize-Iyamu added: “National shutdown should have been the better way to go to pre-empt the continuing and unabated spread of coronavirus.
He added: “It is good that the government has regarded financial institutions as part of essential services, but the effect of this policy is yet to be fully seen.
“It is being advised therefore that just as it is done for Nigeria Shippers Council efforts should be intensified to activate and actualize a plan that will keep the banks and the financial services running during the shutdown.
