Nigeria recorded 168 new cases of COVID-19 and one death on Tuesday, new data by the country’s infectious disease agency, NCDC, showed last night.
The update took Nigeria’s COVID-19 caseload to 66, 607, keeping the country fifth on the list of African countries most affected by the pandemic, behind Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa.
The total death toll is now 1, 169 with the one new fatality added to the tally.
The 168 new cases were reported from 10 states – FCT (61), Lagos (50), Kaduna (27), Oyo (12), Rivers (6), Katsina (5), Ogun (3), Kwara (2), Edo (1), Kano (1).
Amid fears of a possible second wave of COVID-19 in the country, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has advised Nigerians to suspend their Christmas and New Year travels to limit the risk of contracting the virus.
For the fourth consecutive week, Nigeria’s weekly COVID-19 infections have increased, review of official data showed.
The increasing figures show the possibility of Nigeria slipping into the second wave of the pandemic like some countries of the world.
The NCDC has continually warned Nigerians not to think the virus has been defeated, urging everyone to adhere to the safety protocols.
Despite the increased infections, however, Nigeria witnessed a significant reduction in deaths last week.
Nigeria recorded three deaths throughout the week, compared to nine in the previous week.
Meanwhile, of the 66, 000 total, about 62,311 persons have been discharged from hospitals, after treatment, while over 3, 000 cases remain active in the country.
Currently, Nigeria has tested about 750, 000 of its 200 million population.