Lagos leads again as Nigeria records 587 new COVID-19 cases -

Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos recorded 155 out of the 587 new COVID-19 cases declared by the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) for Wednesday, June 17.

According to the announcement by the NCDC through its verified Twitter handle, the nation has now recorded 17,735 cases since February 27, when the index case was reported.

The centre said that as of June 17, the 587 new confirmed cases were from 18 states and 14 deaths recorded.

This is as the nation witnessed a drop in the number of COVID-19-linked deaths reported on Wednesday, compared to the 31 deaths reported on Tuesday.

The Nigeria Publicity Health Institute said that no new state had reported a case in the last 24 hours.

The NCDC said that although Lagos reported the highest number of cases with 155, Edo was second with 75.

Others were FCT–67, Rivers–65, Oyo–56, Delta–50, Bayelsa–25, Plateau–18, Kaduna–18, Enugu-17, Borno–12, Ogun–12, Ondo–7, Kwara–4, Kano–2, Gombe–2, Sokoto–1 and Kebbi-1.

The NCDC said that till date, 17, 735 cases had been confirmed, 11,229 active cases, 5,967 cases had been treated and discharged, 103,799 samples had been collected, and 469 deaths had been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The NCDC had announced the inclusion of four new laboratories in the COVID-19 Molecular Lab Network.

The NCDC stated that there were currently 38 laboratories in Nigeria with the capacity to test for COVID-19.

It, however, disclosed that in progress: were Gombe and Ondo states.

The centre said it has the capacity to test daily for 10,000 persons across the country.

The Nigeria Public Health institute tests about 2, 000 people daily as the laboratories are working at about 20 per cent capacity at the moment.

The centre, however, called on state governments to bring samples for testing.

It said it had continued with the stockpiling of medical and testing supplies to states and tertiary health facilities across the country.

“The commodities will be used to strengthen testing capacity and the management of COVID-19 cases in laboratories and isolation centres across the country,” It said.