NCDC Confirms 1,244 new COVID-19 Cases — over 16,000 Cases in 2 Weeks

For the eighth consecutive day, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed over 1,000 new cases in its daily count of coronavirus infection

The NCDC confirmed 1,244 new positive samples across 17 states and the federal capital territory (FCT) in its update for January 11, 2021.

The new figure comes amid concerns by the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 about the rapid spread of the virus, as the country battles a second wave of infections.

“The current wave of infections is swift and virulent and we do not know how long it will last,” Boss Mustapha, chairman of the PTF, said at a media briefing on Monday.

“Besides, the facilities available for the treatment of critical cases remain very limited and we do not wish to be overwhelmed. Your best bet therefore is to avoid infections completely.”

Lagos recorded 774 infections on Monday — the highest number of new cases — followed by FCT with 125, and Plateau with 102.

With the Monday figure, over 9,500 new samples have tested positive for the coronavirus within the past seven days, while over 16,000 infections have been recorded within the last two weeks.

According to the NCDC, three persons died of COVID-19 complications on Monday, increasing the fatality toll to 1,361.

However, the daily count of new recoveries dropped with 461 patients discharged — the figure included 144 recoveries recorded in Lagos.

A total of 101,331 COVID-19 cases have now been confirmed across the country, but 80,491 patients have recovered.