The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Monday, recorded 242 new cases of COVID-19 in the country, bringing the total number of infections in Nigeria to 4641.
The NCDC also said that 10 new patients had been confirmed dead, bringing the total number of deaths to 150.
It said that no new state reported a case in the last 24 hours.
“Till date, 4641 cases have been confirmed, 902 cases have been treated and discharged.
“There are 3589 active cases; 150 deaths have been recorded in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The 242 new cases are reported from 14 states – Lagos, 88, Kano, 64, Katsina, 49, Kaduna, 13, Ogun, nine, Gombe, six, Adamawa, four, FCT, three, while Ondo, Oyo, Rivers, Zamfara, Borno and Bauchi had one each.
The centre apologised for announcing two new deaths in Nasarawa State on the April 10, 2020, when there was no death in that state on the said date.
“We apologise to the State Government for this error; we remain committed to providing accurate data to Nigerians,” it stated.
The agency said that to prevent the spread of COVID19, Nigerians must continue to play their part.
“Do not discriminate against people who are infected or have recovered; doing so affects our ability to identify and treat people who need care. Let us offer our support and say no to stigma and take responsibility as a nation,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, on Monday said the country has ramped up testing of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), pandemic outbreak to 27,078 from 1,127.
Dr Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of Health, disclosed this in Abuja at the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) briefing on COVID-19 in the country.
Ehanire said that this yielded about 4,399 cases in 35 states with a gender ratio of 30 per cent to 70 per cent of men and women, saying that 778 persons have been discharged with 143 deaths.
The minister added that personnel in Federal Hospitals participated in a multi-national teleconference with medical and academic experts in Beijing on the COVID-19 treatment strategy of China.
“Our COVID-19 response must become a concerted National collaborative drive to become more effective.
“This requires synergies across all tiers of government levels which should be extended and sustained in all states,” he said.
The minister revealed plans by the government to get the Madagascar herbal cure to COVID-19.
He stressed that the plan was subject the herbal product to analysis to see how it works and how it is used.
“Concerning the question on the cure from Madagascar, this has been making the news and we have the promise of being able to get a sample of the herb/botanical product for analysis.
“And also we probably use that opportunity to speak with the health authorities particularly the scientific community on how they use it.
“We will also give that to the research community with us here in Nigeria to examine and do what they can do with it.
“We will like to compare the sample with the strain here in our country; whether they are identical or similar and see what properties it has. Things like that are normally subjected to analysis to find out how it works,” he said.
The drug has been criticised by some Western countries.
It has however proven effective in the East African country with no case of death as a result of COVID-19.
In Enugu State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has distributed some of the Federal Government COVID-19 palliatives to the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Airforce, Nigeria Correctional Centre, the DSS and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Distributing the items which included bags of 50kg foreign rice, cartons of tomato paste and some jerry cans of groundnut oil, the Deputy Governor, Mrs Cecelia Ezeilo, said that the government knows the effects of COVID-19 all over the world.
“We are also aware of the consequences of locking the whole world down in order to contain the spread of the virus.
“It is on that note that both State, Federal, local governments, individuals and organisations came together and agreed to provide palliatives to our people, the vulnerable, even those whom we may think were not vulnerable.
” It is on that note that His Excellency invited the representatives of the Federal agencies in Enugu State to hand them over these materials, rice, groundnut oil, tomato paste, Indomie assorted, it goes to different groups. ”
The Nigeria Army got 200 bags of 50kg rice, Civil Defense, 100 bags, Air Force, 50, Nigeria Correctional Service 50 bags, DSS 100 bags. All of them also got other items, indomie, tomatoes paste and groundnut oil.
Speaking after receiving the gifts, representative of the Nigerian Army, 82 Garrison, Captain A. Adegbohu, and other representatives thanked the governor for his kind gesture.
Meanwhile, the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Enugu branch, has donated 125 bags of 10kg rice to Enugu State government as its contribution to alleviating the sufferings of the less privileged in the state.
The state chairman, Professor Uche Ugwuanyi, who was represented by Mr Paulinus Ossai, said that they deemed it fit to contribute their widows mite to the indigents in the state.
He disclosed that other measures they had taken was in academics. “We introduced online teaching to schools”, he said.
