By GRACE AUDU, Abuja –
Nigeria has recorded 146 new cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total infections to 4,787
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed the new cases in a tweet on Tuesday, just as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced its readiness support local production of COVID-19 vaccine with a grant of N100bn.
Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the apex bank, announced this in Abuja during the commissioning of THISDAY Dome Testing, Treating, Tracing and Isolation Centre, said the N100bn grant was meant for researchers, science-based institutions, and biotechnology firms interested in producing what he called a homegrown vaccine for the treatment of COVID-19 in the country.
According to the NCDC, of the 146 cases, 57 were from Lagos, 27 from Kano, 10 in Kwara, nine in Edo, eight in Bauchi, seven in Yobe, and four each in Kebbi and Oyo states.
The centre said Katsina and Niger recorded three cases each while Plateau, Borno, Benue, and Sokoto recorded two each.
It said Gombe, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ogun, FCT and Rivers recorded one each.
The NCDC also said that six new patients died, bringing the total number of deaths to 158.
According to the agency, 146 new confirmed cases and six deaths were recorded on May 12.
The NCDC noted that no new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.
The agency said that till date,3,670 cases are active while 959 patients have been discharged.
The centre also said 158 deaths have been recorded in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that the NCDC announced the inclusion of the 24th laboratory to the National COVID-19 Network in the country.
The agency also outlined guidelines for the integration of private sector laboratories for COVID-19 testing in the country.
“We have published a guidance document, including a checklist, on how private laboratories with molecular diagnostic capacity can join the National COVID-19 Laboratory Network,” it tweeted.
On donations pouring into Federal Government’s coffers, Emefiele also disclosed that the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) had so far raised over N27billion to fund this initiative.
He said amount was already being utilized in building and equipping isolation centres in all the 36 states across the country.
In his words: ”’The ThisDay Dome Testing, Treating, Tracing and Isolation Centre being launched today, represents a part of the support being provided by the CACOVID alliance. So far, CACOVID has equipped and handed over isolation centres in Rivers, Enugu, Kwara, Ondo, and Borno.”
”It is expected that other isolation centres will be handed over in the other states of the country including FCT, by May 23, 2020. As part of measures put in place to cushion the effect of the COVID-19, CACOVID has provided food items to poor and Indigents Nigerians”, he added.
(With additional report by NAN)
Leave a Reply