FCT tops list of new COVID-19 cases for third consecutive day

For the third day in a row, the federal capital territory (FCT) has topped the list of states with new cases in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 386 new cases in 17 states and the FCT on Saturday.

The figure is the lowest in more than four weeks, as Nigeria recorded at least 400 new cases on a daily basis throughout July.

While FCT recorded 130 new infections, Lagos came next with exactly half of that figure – 65 new cases.

Meanwhile, recoveries have now exceeded 20,000.

The number of discharged patients increased from 19,565 to 20,087, while the fatality figure rose from 879 to 883.

With more than 280,000 samples tested across the country, 43,537 have been confirmed positive, out of which 22,567 are still active cases.

386 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria;

FCT-130
Lagos-65
Ondo-37
Osun-29
Plateau-23
Rivers-15
Enugu-14
Nasarawa-12
Bayelsa-11
Ebonyi-11
Ekiti-9
Oyo-8
Edo-8
Abia-6
Ogun-3
Katsina-3
Imo-1
Adamawa-1

43,537 confirmed
20,087 discharged
883 deaths pic.twitter.com/JfacBBoawd

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) August 1, 2020

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Although strict restrictions on movement and activities are being relaxed in countries across the world, including Nigeria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says the coronavirus pandemic remains a public health emergency.

A statement issued on Saturday noted that the decision was taken on Friday, at at the fourth meeting of the emergency committee on COVID-19, convened by the WHO director-general under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).

“After a full discussion and review of the evidence, the Committee unanimously agreed that the outbreak still constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and offered this advice to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. Dr Tedros accepted the advice of the Committee and confirmed that the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to constitute a PHEIC,” the statement read.

In his remarks while addressing the committee, the WHO director-general is quoted to have said “the pandemic is a once-in-a-century health crisis, the effects of which will be felt for decades to come.”

“Many countries that believed they were past the worst are now grappling with new outbreaks. Some that were less affected in the earliest weeks are now seeing escalating numbers of cases and deaths. And some that had large outbreaks have brought them under control,” he added.