COVID-19: NCDC Confirms 10 Deaths, 397 New Cases

BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI, ABUJA – With the threat of Nigeria officially entering the second wave of COVID-19 becoming a reality each passing day, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Monday, December 28 confirmed the loss of 10 more lives to the deadly virus in the country.

The NCDC said the latest figure brings the total number to 1264 deaths so far recorded across the 36 states and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Against the backdrop of calls by health experts for a more robust government response to check the virus, the country’s infectious disease outfit said; “On the 28th of December 2020, 397 new confirmed cases and 10 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.”

According to the NCDC; “Till date, 84,811 cases have been confirmed; 71357 cases have been discharged; and 1264 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.”

In an update on its microsite, the NCDC said of the 397 new cases reported from 18 states, Lagos recorded (144) followed by Plateau with (83); Kaduna – (48); and Adamawa – (36).

Others are: Rivers – (22); Oyo – (16); Kebbi – (10); Nasarawa – (7); Sokoto – (7); FCT – (5); Kano – (5); Edo – (4); Jigawa – (3); Ogun – (2); Akwa Ibom – (2); Niger – (1); Bauchi – (1); and Zamfara – (1)

The recent spike in coronavirus cases across the country has been attributed to the lowering of guard on safety measures and the poor enforcement of COVID-19 protocols, particularly at the nation’s major airports in Abuja and Lagos.

Health experts have also cautioned that the situation could worsen if citizens keep breaching existing safety protocols.

Active cases in the country have so far risen to over 12,190 with samples tested at 932,327 and Confirmed Cases currently reading 84,811. Similarly, discharged persons after hospital treatment are put at 71,357 cases.