Coronavirus: Nigeria's confirmed cases hit 873, as Lagos tops with 504

By Aaleyah Omotola

The new COVID-19 pandemic cases in Nigeria now stands at 873, as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Wednesday announced confirmed 91 fresh cases in nine states.

With this development, the number of reported cases in Lagos, the epicenter of the outbreak in Nigeria, as of the time of filing this report tops the table with 504 for the first time.

Confirming this, the NCDC in a tweet yesterday evening disclosed that the 91 new cases were reported in nine states, with Adamawa recording its first case of the virus since the beginning of the outbreak in the country.

The breakdown of the fresh cases showed that Lagos State reported its highest daily figure,74, since the index case was detected in the state. The highest figure the state had previously reported was 70, which was on Sunday.

Other states with confirmed new cases were Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oyo, Delta, Katsina, Ogun, Kwara and Edo.

Further breakdown, indicated that five cases were declared in Katsina, four in Ogun, two in Delta and Edo, and one each in Kwara, Oyo, Adamawa and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

NCDC as of 11:25 p.m. on April 22, said there were 873 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. Of these, 197 infected people have recovered and have been discharged while the death toll rose to 28 from 25 reported on Tuesday.

As of the time of reporting, 649 cases are still active and undergoing treatment.

There has been a steady rise in the number of recoveries and deaths reported from the COVID-19 in the country.

A breakdown of all the cases shows that Lagos State has so far reported 504 cases, followed by FCT – 119, Kano – 73, Ogun – 24, Katsina – 21, Osun – 20, Oyo and Edo – 17 cases each, Kwara-10, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom and Borno – nine cases each, Bauchi has recorded eight cases, Delta – six, Gombe – five, Ekiti – four, Ondo and Rivers three apiece.

Jigawa, Enugu, Niger and Abia have two cases each while Benue, Anambra, Sokoto and Adamawa have a case apiece.

It is, however, noteworthy that there has bee an increase in new confirmed cases of the disease in the country, since reporting the index case in February 2020.

To this end, no fewer than 24 states and the FCT have reported at least a case of the virus. Even as more cases are expected as the government intensifies contact tracing and testing across the nation.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, had said the increasing cases of confirmed COVID-19 in the country is as a result of the government scaling up its testing capacity as well as early signs of community transmission.

He said the outbreak in the country is now in the community transmission phase.

“We have passed that era when people used to think that COVID-19 was something for big men and big women who came from abroad.

“Door to door testing is now taking place in some communities in Lagos and the FCT.”

He, however, noted that the virus has gotten to the grassroots, the primary healthcare centres have a role to play in early detection.