…Ranks fourth in number of deaths
By Audrey Lotechukwu
MON, JUN 01 2020-theG&BJournal-The number of coronavirus cases has risen by 860 in two days, making the country’s overall confirmed cases the third highest in Africa.
The total figure of 10, 162 is now surpassed only by South Africa (30,967) and Egypt (23,449).
The numbers of infection is now projected to continue its upward trend well into late August and health officials met with President Muhammed Buhari Sunday to brief him on the escalation of the virus in country.
Close sources say the President may have to consider stricter form of lockdown in Lagos, Kano and the FCT where the daily infection rate is more than double that of the rest of the country even as he considers the economic implication of the lockdown.
On 31st of May 2020, 307 new cases were reported from 15 states to take the country’s total of confirmed cases to 10162.
While the numbers of discharged cases have been increasing daily, the death tolls are also creeping up gradually. 3007 cases have been discharged and 287 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Only Algeria (646), Egypt (913) and South Africa (643) now have more coronavirus deaths than Nigeria.
The new confirmed cases were reported in Lagos (378), FCT (52), Delta (23), Edo (22), Rivers (14), Ogun (13), Kaduna (12), Kano (9), Borno (7), Katsina (6), Jigawa (5), Oyo (5), Yobe (3), Plateau (3), and Osun (1).
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has intensified its strategic engagement with States’ coordination teams in the South East zone, Borno, Jigawa and Katsina on improving sample collection and testing. The NCDC has tested close to 62,583 samples of coronavirus patients of the target 2 million it set in early May 2020.
On 28th February 2020, a multi-sectoral Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated at Level 3 – the highest emergency level in Nigeria –led by NCDC in close coordination with the State Public Health EOCs (PHEOC) while it conducted in-depth analysis of Health Care Worker Infections and identified critical control points for targeted intervention
The NCDC has also finalised plan on engagement of existing community volunteers to conduct house to house sensitisation on COVID-19 at the community level in collaboration with other government agencies.
|twitter:@theGBJournal|email: info@govandbusinessjournal.com.ng|
