Coronavirus cases in Nigeria now above 48,000

ANKARA (AA) – At least 10 more fatalities and over 370 new infections have raised Nigeria’s COVID-19 death toll to 966 and overall case count above 48,000, authorities said on Friday.

“On Aug. 13, 373 new confirmed cases and 10 deaths were recorded in Nigeria,” the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said in its latest update.

“Till date, 48,116 cases have been confirmed, 34,309 cases have been discharged and 966 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.”

With over 16,000 infections, the commercial capital Lagos remains Nigeria’s hardest-hit city.

It is followed by the Federal Capital Territory, which includes the capital Abuja, with over 4,500 cases, and the southwestern Oyo state with over 2,900 cases.

Lanre Mojola, head of Lagos’ safety commission, cautioned religious leaders after the state governor ordered religious centers reopened.

“There is a need for all religious leaders in Lagos to observe stipulated safety protocols to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic,” he was quoted as saying in a series of tweets by the Lagos State Government.

“While acknowledging that the level of compliance with safety guidelines in places of worship visited after the reopening was commendable, Mojola, however, cautioned that religious bodies must not rest on their oars until the pandemic is effectively contained.”

The coronavirus pandemic has so far claimed nearly 760,000 lives in 188 countries and regions since first being detected in Wuhan, China last December.

Almost 21 million cases have been reported around the world, with the highest numbers in the US, Brazil, India, and Russia, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.

More than half of all patients worldwide – over 13 million – have recovered so far, the data shows.