By ABUJAH RACHEAL

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 188 new cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)in the country with total number of infections now 56,017.

The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Friday, addingthat one new fatality also raised the death toll to 1,076.

The agency said that the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country had reached the 56,000 beachmarks.

It said that till date, 56,017 cases have been confirmed, 43,998, discharged and 1,076 deathsrecorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It was stated that the 188 cases were reported from 18 states and the FCT.

The NCDC said that Lagos state leads with 47 cases followed by Enugu,25 and Plateau, 21.

Among others were Edo, Oyo and Kwara tied with 3 cases each as Yobe and Rivers State reports least number of 2 each.

The health agency said that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC) activated at Level 3, have continuedto coordinate the national response activities across the country.

Meanwhile, the NCDC had also announcedtwo new laboratories activated for inclusion in the Molecular Laboratory Network.

It said there were the Federal Medica Centre, GeneXpert Laboratory, Birnin Kebbi and the Plateau State Human Virology Research Center (PLASVIREC), in Plateau.

The NCDC stated that this brought the total number of laboratories in the country to test for the virus to 71 and in 35 states.

It saidthat Niger State has yet to come on board in its network of laboratories.

The public health agency disclosed that the Cedarcrest Hospital Molecular Laboratory, FCT, had also been accredited as a private fee-paying laboratory for COVID-19 testing.

“For a complete list of private fee-paying labs offering testing for COVID-19 in Nigeria visit, covid-19.ncdc.gov.ng/privatelabs/,” it said.

The NCDC urged Nigerians not to risk their lives, adding that COVID-19 affected both the young and the old especially those with underlying health conditions.

The health agency stated that as the country conduct elections, in Edo and Ondo states, it was wise for their residents to take responsibility by adhering to guidelines to protect themselves from COVID-19 bythe used of face masks, hand sanitisers and coughing/sneezing into theirelbow.

“Read ‘Guidelines for Conducting Elections in Nigeria’ via: covid19.ncdc.gov.ng/media/files/El…

“Wear a face mask properly in public, practice hand/respiratory hygiene and maintainphysical distancing,” it advised. (NAN)