By Adedoyin Falolu
Nigeria had on Saturday reported another eight deaths from COVID-19 as the spike in new cases continues despite low testing across the country.
According to the total death reported from COVID-19 in Nigeria rose to 1,302 with the eight new deaths, the country’s infectious disease outfit, NCDC, announced late Saturday.
In the past 15 days, there have been 90 recorded deaths from the coronavirus.
The NCDC in an update on its microsite Saturday said 576 new cases were discovered in 15 states across the country.
The total coronavirus Infections in the country has now increased to 89, 163 with the latest figure.
Since early December 2020, there has been a spike in coronavirus cases in Nigeria.
Health experts believe the lowering of guard on safety and the weak enforcement of protocols especially in the country’s major airports in Abuja and Lagos could be responsible for the development, warning that the situation could get worse if citizens keep violating safety protocols.
Active cases in the country rose sharply from about 3,000 some weeks ago to over 11,000 due to a rise in new infections.
Of the over 89,000 cases so far, 74,789 patients have been discharged from hospitals after treatment.
Out of the 576 new cases reported were from 15 states – Lagos (277), FCT (90), Oyo (51), Nasarawa (49), Sokoto (23), Anambra (14), Bauchi (11), Imo (11), Kano (11), Edo (10), Plateau (10), Ogun (9), Osun (5), Jigawa (3), and Rivers (2).
Lagos, again topnthe table with 277 new cases followed by the FCT with 90 new infections on Saturday; together having more than half of the daily total.
With the country into the second wave of the pandemic, federal authorities have ordered the reopening of all isolation and treatment centres in the country.
It is believed with partial restrictions, the number of cases will reduce.