Nigeria records lowest death toll in May as NCDC confirms 226 new COVID-19 cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 226 new COVID-19 cases in 15 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The agency made the announcement on Tuesday night via its Twitter handle.

A total of 6,401 cases have now been recorded in 34 states and the FCT.

Although the NCDC has conducted a few tests in Kogi and Cross River, both states are yet to record any case.

Only one fatality was recorded – Nigeria’s lowest death toll in the month of May – while the number of discharged patients increased from 1,644 to 1,734.

226 new cases of #COVID19;

131-Lagos
25-Ogun
15-Plateau
11-Edo
7-Kaduna
6-Oyo
5-FCT
5-Adamawa
4-Jigawa
4-Ebonyi
4-Borno
3-Nasarawa
2-Bauchi
2-Gombe
1-Enugu
1-Bayelsa

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6401 cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria
Discharged: 1734
Deaths: 192 pic.twitter.com/KJeNRAKFVG

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) May 19, 2020

Before the agency’s COVID-19 update for May 19, the lowest number of fatalities recorded in May was two deaths on the third day of the month, while the highest figure so far was 17 deaths, recorded on May 2 and May 10, respectively.

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, had said a large percentage of those who died were managed in their homes.

Speaking at the presidential task force on COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, he said some of the fatalities developed complications as a result of underlying medical conditions.

“Not only are most fatalities observed to be linked with pre-existing diseases, many of them are educated well-to-do people, who chose home-based care where complications suddenly developed and they have to be rushed to the hospital,” Ehanire had said.