The Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 587 new cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of infections in the country to 17,735.
The NCDC announced this on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 through its official Twitter handle.
It said that, as at June 17, the 587 new confirmed cases were from 18 states and 14 deaths recorded.
There was a drop in the number of 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 Lagos reported the highest number of cases with 155 new cases, while Edo was second with 75 new infections.
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 – four, Kano – two, Gombe – two, Sokoto – one and Kebbi – one.
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 agency 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 agency, 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.
By Abujah Racheal
