By DAVID IORJA and GRACE AUDU (Abuja) –
The daily figures of COVID-19 infections in Nigeria continued to go down during the week with the confirmation of 156 new cases on Friday, bringing the total number of cases nationwide to 54,743.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which announced this on its official twitter handle @NCDCgov, also disclosed that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, had continued to coordinate national response activities across the country.
But the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, has cautioned Nigerians against relaxing in the observation of necessary protocols as COVID-19 cases drop.
The monarch spoke with State House correspondents after a courtesy visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the agency, three deaths were recorded in the country.
It added that till date, 54,743 cases have been confirmed, 42,816 cases discharged, and 1,051 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The public health agency said that the 156 new cases were reported from 17 states.
Lagos state, the centre said, had the highest number of infections with 36 cases, followed by FCT with 35 cases, and Oyo with 29 cases recorded.
States that recorded new cases of the virus were, Kaduna-10, Abia-9, Osun-5, Ogun-5, Enugu-5, Rivers-4, Nasarawa-3, Ekiti-3, Imo-3, Edo-2, Kwara-2, Katsina-2, Plateau-2, and Niger-1.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that as of Sept. 3, Nigeria has tested 4,133 people.
Cases confirmed positive were 124, while the daily test positivity stood at three per cent.
Ogunwusi said he looked forward to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and return of normal lives and activities.
“No, we cannot relax; it is not possible; COVID-19 is real; we have to keep protecting ourselves.
“ We have to be very careful; thank God the Federal Government is looking at how to open the economy the more.
“ We should follow the COVID-19 guidelines and we should not relax; but what the government is doing is that they are opening up the economy.
“We will continue to live and continue to pray that covid-19 should finally leave us alone so that we will continue with our normal lives and activities.’’
He said that traditional rulers had been doing a lot to guard against community spread as they were closest to the people.
According to him, traditional rulers will continue to do more to sensitise the people on what is going on in the world as Nigeria is not an exception.
“Some of our people who do not believe in it we have to let them know.
“We are very fortunate in Nigeria; the cases are sort of mild; but how many people are coming out for the test?
“What is critical is that we have not really had very huge community breakdown, community infections.
“ So, we thank God Almighty that has helped thus far and will also give credit to the people in the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19; they have done very well,’’ he said.(With NAN report)
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