By ABUJAH RACHEAL

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 674 additional COVID-19 infections and eight more deaths had been registered as at Aug. 19.

The NCDC stated this on its website on Friday morning, noting that the country’s total infections had risen to 185 267.

He attributed the surge to the highly transmissible Delta variant and low vaccination rates across the country.

It stated that the new infections indicated a decrease from the 1,149 cases reported on Thursday.

The Public Health Agency said eight new deaths recorded on Thursday brought the nation’s fatality count to 2,244.

It said the additional infections on Thursday were reported in 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with Lagos State recording 355 cases, indicating it still remained the nation’s epicentre of the virus.

“Amongst others were: Rivers (87), FCT (38), Ogun (33) Akwa Ibom (32), Oyo (32), Edo (22), Ekiti (20), Kwara (17), Delta (12), Bayelsa (8), Gombe (5) Kaduna, and Osun four each.

“While Enugu and Nasarawa recorded two each, and Plateau, one. Today’s report includes zero cases from Abia, Kano and Ondo States,” it stated.

The NCDC added that the number of known active cases stood at 15,100, from 14,719 reported on Wednesday.

It added that a total of 185 people recovered and were discharged from various isolation centres in the country on Thursday, with total recoveries nationwide clocking 167,923.

Over 2.6 million samples of the virus, out of the nation’s about 200 million population, were tested, with an average test positivity rate of six per cent, according to the NDCD.

It also stated that the multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 2, continued to coordinate the national response activities. (NAN)

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