Within a four-day period, Nigeria crossed from 7,000 to the 8,000 cases of Covid-19 disease.
This spike has been predicted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) as a consequece of phased relaxation of strict lockdown rules by federal and state authorities.
Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, had told a TV anchor in an interview last month that he expected that cases may surge for two reasons – increase in testing capacity and following the relaxation of strict lockdown rules in the country.
He however assured that this would stabilise with time.
The NCDC last night 25 May 2020 announced 229 new cases discovered in 14 States and the FCT, which closed the national total of Covid-19 cases at 8,068.
Affected states and territories include Lagos (90), Katsina (27), Imo (26), Kano (23), FCT (14), Plateau (12), Ogun (9), Delta (7), Borno (5), Rivers (5), Oyo (4), Gombe (3), Osun (2), Anambra (1), and Bayelsa (1).
NCDC did not disclose the number of cases discharged yesterday but it put the death toll at seven.
South East Cases Growing Rapidly, fueled by Imo, Ebonyi
In the South East, cases confirmed in Ebonyi and Imo States in the past two days have sharply boosted total infections in the region by more than 50 percent.
The Region last night crossed the 100-mark to record 101 Covid-19 infections to date.
Ebonyi and Imo States are at par on 33 cases each, leaving far behind Enugu State which used to lead the figures, now in third place at 18 cases overall.
While Ebonyi State reported 11 cases on Sunday, Imo which had hitherto discharged all of seven prior cases, reported last night that 26 new cases have been confirmed.
Incidentally, the two testing centres for the disease in the South East are located in Imo and Ebonyi States.
It is possible that the figures may suggest outcome of greater speed in testing as well as number of persons tested in the two states, as suggested by the NCDC.
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