By ABUJAH RACHEAL

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 550 new cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) the country.

The NCDC disclosed this via its verified website on Tuesday.

It said that the 550 new cases had taken the total number of infections in the country to 70,195.

The agency disclosed that it recorded an additional COVID-19-related death to take the total number of fatalities in the country to 1,182.

The new cases, it said, were recorded in 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with Lagos retaining the highest figure of 219 cases.

Other states were Kaduna, 52 cases, Kwara, 19; Kano and Rivers, 15 each; Sokoto, 10; Enugu, 9; and Gombe, 8.

Plateau and Osun recorded 7 each; Anambra and Oyo, 5 each; Jigawa and Ogun, 4 each; Bauchi 2; Edo, 1; and the FCT, 168.

It noted that 163 patients were discharged across the country after recovering from the disease.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 550 cases recorded as of Dec. 9 represent the highest the country has recorded since Aug. 23, when 601 cases were reported.

The country’s highest daily COVID-19 case was 745, recorded on June 19.

The NCDC said that till date, 70,195 cases had been confirmed, 65,110 cases discharged, and 1,182 deaths recorded in 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

It said that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC) activated at Level 3, continued to coordinate the national response activities.

It advised Nigerians to take responsibility and take steps that would help limit the spread of COVID-19 during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

“Limit all non-essential travel especially from high-risk countries.

“Limit person-to-person contact and always wear a face mask,” it advised.

NAN reports that the country has so far tested 817, 913 persons since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced on Feb. 27. (NAN)

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