FG Raises Alarm Over 342 COVID-19 Fatality As Nigeria’s Tally Rises To 12,233 Cases
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI, ABUJA – The Federal Government is concerned about the high rate of Coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths despite measures aimed at containing the pandemic in the country.
The government’s outcry comes against the backdrop of confirmation on Saturday night by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that the virus has killed about 342 persons nationwide.
Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, admitted that given the high numbers involved, even the current three (3) percent death rate remains very worrisome.
Speaking at the Presidential Task Force (PFT) on COVID-19 100th day media briefing in Abuja, Ehanire said; “In some countries that have been taken by surprise, the health system has been overwhelmed and they have lost hundreds and thousands of citizens to COVID-19.
“We in Nigeria are striving to make sure that our health system does not get overwhelmed with the number of cases.
“We are doing all the testing as rapidly as possible by identifying cases, putting the ones that are positive in quarantine, and those that are positive and have severe symptoms are being treated.”
The Minister said; “We continue to monitor the situation. We are also looking at what happens in other African and West African countries, to see the steps that they are taking and learn from them.”
However, updating the daily report on its official twitter handle, the NCDC announced a total of 389 new confirmed cases, as Nigeria’s tally now stands at 12,233 cases.
According to the NCDC’s figures; “On the 6th of June 2020, 389 new confirmed cases and nine (9) deaths were recorded in Nigeria.”
Noting that no new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours, the Centre further explained that; “Till date, 12233 cases have been confirmed, 3826 cases have been discharged and 342 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”
The 389 new cases reported from 23 states of the Federation indicated thus: Lagos – (66); FCT – (50); Delta – (32); Oyo – (31); Borno – (26); Rivers – (24); Edo – (23); Ebonyi – (23); Anambra and Gombe – (17) cases each.
Others are: Nasarawa – (14); Imo – (12); Kano – (12); Sokoto – (12); Jigawa – Eight (8); Ogun – Seven (7); Bauchi – (5); Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina and Ondo – Two (2) cases each; with Abia and Niger recording one (1) case each.
