Nigerian health authorities on Thursday confirmed over 500 new coronavirus infections in the country, pushing the total toll to more than 50,000, reported Anadolu Agency.
593 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths were reported on Wednesday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said in its latest update. The new cases were reported from 16 states- Plateau (186), Lagos (172), FCT (62), Oyo (27), Delta (25), Rivers (20), Ondo (19), Edo (18), Kaduna (17), Enugu (12), Akwa Ibom (10), Ogun (7), Abia (6), Gombe (6), Kano (3) and Osun (3).
Over 17,000 cases, about a third of Nigeria’s total cases, were recorded in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital. The second most affected place in Nigeria is Abuja, the capital city with 4,837 cases.
The Nigerian government has confirmed 50,488 coronavirus cases so far, including 37,304 recoveries and 985 virus-linked deaths in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 363,331 tests have been carried out in the country.
Nigeria is currently Africa’s third most impacted country after South Africa and Egypt. More than a million infection and over 26,000 deaths have been reported in the African continent.
Earlier this week, the Nigerian aviation ministry said the West African country will reopen its airports for international flights from Aug. 29. The resumption of international flights would begin with Lagos and Abuja. Travel within other cities will follow at a later date.
The airports have been closed since March 23 to all but essential international flights as part of the measures to stop the spread of the pandemic.
The Nigerian government also imposed a four-week lockdown in three of its cities and closed down social and religious gatherings as a way to slow down the spread of the virus.
Last month, the government lifted an interstate travel restriction and allowed domestic flights to resume.
