By ABUJAH RACHEAL

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 617 new infections of the COVID-19 in the country.

The NCDC made this known on its verified website on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that COVID-19 cases began to surge around the globe with Nigeria recording over 3,502 new infections in six days, making it a significant rise in over eight weeks.

The public health agency noted that with the latest infections, the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country now stand at 72,757.

It said that the new cases were reported in 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The NCDC stated that Lagos and Kaduna states as well as the FCT had continued to lead in the number of new infections.

It reported that Lagos State recorded the highest number of new cases with 225 infections, followed by FCT and Kaduna with 181 and 125 respectively.

Others were Adamawa (25), Nasarawa (20), Kano (12), Rivers (8), Edo (4), Ekiti (4), Bayelsa (3), Ogun (3), Plateau (3), Akwa Ibom (2), Delta (1) and Sokoto (1).

The health agency also disclosed that 139 patients were discharged after recovering from the infection in isolation centres across the country.

The NCDC further said it recorded four additional COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours in the country.

The agency said that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, was coordinating national response activities.

The NCDC noted that till date , 72,757 cases had been confirmed, 65,850 discharged and 1,194 deaths recorded in 36 states and the FCT.

The health agency urged Nigerians not to give up at this critical time.

“Avoid large gatherings especially when indoors, wear a face mask, ensure physical distancing and wash your hands.

“Been an incredibly tough year,many have lost friends, colleagues and family to the COVID-19 pandemic. We can’t let down our guards,” it said.

It stated that in the last two weeks, the agency’s surveillance system had recorded a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases across the country.

The NCDC urged Nigerians to take its public health advisory on the current situation in the country seriously.

NAN reports that the health agency had conducted about 838,333 tests since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced. (NAN)

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