#COVID19: Nigeria’s Active Cases Exceed 12,000, 636 New Infections, 12 More Deaths

Nigeria’s COVID-19 daily tally has continued to rise as active cases reached over 12,000 with  636 new infections and 12 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, according to an update by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Friday night, Aug. 13.

At least 181,297 persons have been infected since the pandemic started in Feb. 2020, with 2,211 deaths recorded so far. 

Lagos continues to have the highest number of cases, recording 291 new infections, followed by Rivers with 117 cases. Taraba had 58 cases, Akwa Ibom, 54 cases, and  Kwara, 28. Ekiti and Ogun reported 14 new cases each, followed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with 13 cases.

Oyo and Edo states reported 11 and nine cases respectively, with Osun reporting six infections.

Bayelsa recorded five cases while Delta and Gombe reported four cases each.  Abia and Plateau also reported three cases each with Sokoto recording one infection.

Impressive Response

With daily spikes attributed to the fast spreading Delta variant and ongoing doctors’ strike,  at least 12,366 people are currently hospitalised across the country, contributing  5.7 per cent of the positive cases.

With 166,709 persons recuperating from the disease, the country’s recovery rate stands at 93 per cent, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.2 per cent, one of the lowest rates in the world.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), on Friday, ranked Nigeria’s COVID-19 response as the fourth-best in the world.

Nigeria has administered 3.94 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far, with 2.5 million persons receiving at least one dose, and 1.4 million people having been  fully vaccinated. The West African country has tested over 2.4 million samples out of its estimated 200 million population.

However, public health experts warn the ongoing resident doctors’ strike may complicate response to the COVID-19 situation, coupled with the less practice of sanitary protocols by Nigerians.

More than two weeks after the doctors  went on strike over irregular pay, insurance benefits, and poor facilities, demanding better working conditions, the Nigerian government on Friday sued them at the industrial court in Abuja for “unconscionable” actions during a pandemic.

The government had vowed not to pay the striking doctors, saying  the ‘No Work, No Pay’ rule is not a punitive measure against and an implementation of the provisions of law.

“Yes, that’s the standard thing. ILO recommends that if you didn’t work, then why will you take your salary that comes from taxpayers’ money,” Osagie Ehanire, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, had said  during a ministerial briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Thursday.

“Because if that is so, you can’t be encouraged to stay home for six months and your salary is running from public funds, from taxpayers’ money, or you have not given the community any service.”