Nigeria records 561 fresh coronavirus cases as total infections hit 25,694

Nigeria has recorded 561 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 25,694.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) made the disclosure on Tuesday through its official Twitter handle.

NCDC said that the 561 new confirmed cases were from 19 states, with 17 deaths as at Tuesday.

The health agency said that no new state reported a case in the last 24 hours. The NCDC said that Lagos reported the highest number of cases with 200 new cases and Edo was second with 119 new infections.

Others were Kaduna-52, FCT-52, Niger-32, Ogun-19, Ondo-16, Imo-14, Plateau-11, Abia-8, Oyo-8, Bayelsa-7, Katsina-6, Kano-5, Bauchi-3, Osun-3, Kebbi-3, Borno-2 and Jigawa-1.

The NCDC said that till date, 25,694 cases had been confirmed; 15, 358 were active cases; 9,746 cases treated and discharged; 134, 257 samples collected and 590 deaths recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Meanwhile, the NCDC said that three out of every five Nigerians who died from COVID-19 were more than 50 years old. It urged Nigerians to take precautions to protect their older relatives by wearing a face mask in public, practising hand and respiratory hygiene and maintaining a physical distance of two metres from others.

“Ensure that if you do share a toilet and bathroom with others, they are cleaned after each use. Where possible, consider drawing up a roster for bathing, and you use the bathroom first at the start of each day.

“Encourage frequent handwashing with soap and water by all other household members and disinfect frequently touched surfaces e. g door handles, light switches, TV remotes etc throughout the day.

“Keep shared spaces well ventilated and minimise the time spent in shared enclosed spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms and sitting areas. “Where possible, sleep in a different bed and endeavour to maintain physical distancing even within the household.

“Do not share towels and beddings or use commonly shared household items including cutlery, drinking cups etc,” the body stated. NCDC also said it does not own quarantine or treatment centres.

The body said that this was the responsibility of the state governments or relevant teaching hospitals.

The NCDC said it only provides guidance on set-up of standard isolation centres, national case management guidelines and training for health workers across the country.