By ABUJAH RACHEAL

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 576 new infections of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

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

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the country has so far tested 952,975 persons since the first confirmed case of the COVID-19 pandemic was announced on Feb. 27, 2020.

It said that the total number of infections in the country is now 89,163.

The agency sadly said that the total death cases recorded in the country is 1,302.

It, however, stated that 74,789 patients had been discharged from the various isolation centres in the country, having tested negative to the virus.

The NCDC said that the new infections were from 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It said that Lagos state recorded the highest figure with 277 new cases, followed by the FCT and Oyo with 90 and 51 new cases respectively.

Other states with new cases are Nasarawa 49, Sokoto 23, Anambra 14, Bauchi 11, Imo 11, Kano 11, Edo 10, Plateau 10, Ogun nine, Osun five, Jigawa three and Rivers two.

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

According to it, 576 new confirmed cases and eight deaths were recorded in the country as at Jan. 2, 2021.

The public health agency stated that till date, 89,163 cases had been confirmed, 74,789 cases discharged and 1,302 deaths recorded in 36 states and the FCT.

Meanwhile, the agency said that COVID-19 might cause severe complications in the elderly and people with underlying health conditions.

It urged Nigerians to “Take Responsibility” to protect themselves and stay safe:

“Avoid non-essential travel; wear a face mask; maintain physical distance; wash your hands regularly,” it said.

The agency stressed that physical distancing helps in avoiding contact with respiratory droplets when infected person with COVID-19 coughs or sneezes.

“Keep a distance of two metres from anyone showing symptoms of a respiratory illness to stay safe,” it advised. (NAN)

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