Nigeria announced 575 new COVID-19 cases in the country within 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 31,323 according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
NCDC said via its official Twitter handle on Friday that a total of 20 deaths caused by the coronavirus were recorded in the country.
The NCDC said that till date, 31,323 cases have been confirmed, 12,795 patients discharged and 709 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The 575 new cases, on Friday, were reported from 18 states.
The NCDC said Lagos remained the epicentre, reporting 224 new cases, followed by Oyo State with 85 and 68 in the FCT.
Other states with new cases were Rivers (49), Kaduna (39), Edo (31), Enugu (30), Delta (11), Niger (10), Katsina (9), Ebonyi (5), Gombe (3), Jigawa (3), Plateau (2), Nassarawa (2), Borno (2), Kano (1) and Abia (1).
Other states that recorded deaths on Friday were Rivers and Plateau, with two each, and Jigawa and Bayelsa, one apiece.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation said it was still possible to bring coronavirus pandemic outbreak under control, though the number of cases had doubled in the past six weeks.
WHO Chief, Tedros Ghebreyesus, gave the example of Italy, Spain, South Korea and India’s biggest slums that showed that bad outbreak of the virus could still be reined in through aggressive action.
“In the last six weeks cases have more than doubled,” Tedros told a virtual press conference on Friday in Geneva.
He, however, said there were many examples from around the world that have shown that even if the outbreak was very intense, it could still be controlled.
He added: “Some of these examples are Italy, Spain and South Korea and even, in Dharavi a densely packed area in the megacity of Mumbai in India.
“A strong focus on community engagement and the basics of testing, tracing, isolating and treating all those that are sick is key to breaking the chains of transmission and suppressing the virus.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the novel coronavirus has killed at least 556,140 people worldwide since the outbreak emerged in China in 2019.
At least 12,361,580 cases of coronavirus have been registered in 196 countries and territories, while no fewer than 6,593,400 are considered to have recovered.
The NCDC had said that there were simple actions Nigerians could take to protect themselves and their loved ones and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
It also reminded Nigerians that when a mask is applied correctly, it covers both the nose and mouth and does not fog up their glasses.
“If their mask fogs up their glasses, it is too loose for them,” the centre stated.
The other things Nigerians need to do is to also sanitise their hands before they put on a mask.
It said: “Do not touch your mask or face when it is on, santise your hands before and after you take off your mask.
“Eye protection also provides a barrier to infectious materials entering the eye and is often used in conjunction with other personal protective equipment such as gloves, gowns, masks or respirators.”
The health agency added that COVID-19 was real and, as such, Nigerians should stay safe, wash their hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water.
It added that they should maintain physical distancing at all times.
