Nigeria recorded a significant spike in COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with 553 new cases confirmed in 14 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced the new cases just before midnight on Saturday.
This is the first time ever that the country will record more than 400 cases in its daily toll.
Lagos alone accounted for 378 of the cases confirmed on Saturday, making it the state’s highest toll since the country recorded its index case on February 27, 2020.
A total of 9,855 confirmed COVID-19 cases have now been recorded in 35 states and the FCT.
The number of recoveries increased from 2,697 to 2,856, while fatalities rose from 261 to 273.
553 new cases of #COVID19;
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
Osun-1
9855 cases of #COVID19Nigeria
Discharged: 2856
Deaths: 273
As the country prepares for the end of the second phase of the lockdown relaxation, efforts are ongoing to ensure the adoption of effective safety measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
There have been concerns about the shortage of bed spaces across the country but last week, Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, said if hospitals get overwhelmed, hotels and schools would be used for isolating patients with mild cases.
While those with severe cases would be managed in hospitals.
The federal government is expected to announce new measures for checking the spread of COVID-19 next week.
