COVID-19 Cases Rise Over 300 in Nigeria

• COVID-19 Cases Rise Over 300 in Nigeria

Coronavirus continues to spread in Africa’s largest economy despite measures to contain the spread of deadly disease.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the total number of infected people rose by seventeen from 288 reported on Thursday to 305 on Friday.

A breakdown of the new cases showed eight were confirmed in Lagos to take the state’s total cases to 163. While two and three cases were confirmed in FCT and Katsina, respectively.

Niger, Kaduna, Anambra and Ondo reported one case each.

“As at 09:30 pm 10th April there are 305 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. 58 have been discharged with 7 deaths,” the centre stated on its official twitter page @NCDCgov.

Lagos led with 163 cases; FCT- 56; Osun- 20; Edo- 12; Oyo- 11; Bauchi- 6; Akwa Ibom- 5; Ogun- 7; Kaduna- 6; Enugu- 2; Ekiti- 2; Rivers-2; Kwara- 2; Delta- 2; Benue- 1; Ondo- 2; Katsina-4; Niger- 1 and Anambra- 1.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa put the total number of confirmed cases on the continent at over 11,900 with 603 deaths and 1,586 recoveries as of Friday.While the rate of infection in South Africa has slowed down, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The nation has the highest number of confirmed cases in Africa at 1,934 with 18 deaths. This was followed by Algeria with 1,666 cases and 235 deaths while Cameroon came third.

President Ramaphosa had extended the lockdown by another 14 days, saying “If we end the lockdown too soon or too abruptly, we risk a massive and uncontrolled resurgence of the disease … This evening I stand before you to ask you to endure even longer.”

In Ghana, President Nana Akufo-Addo said the nation will extend lockdown for another one week.

“It is important that we stay the course, and bear with the difficulties that come with it,” the leader said in a national broadcast late Thursday,” the President stated.

“The final result, hopefully, will be freedom from the virus.”