With the daily increase in the number of positive cases and deaths from COVID-19, the dreaded third wave of the coronavirus pandemic may as well already be here fully in Nigeria.
The government may be forced to declare another round of lockdown, halting movements and business activities, a decision that may further worsen the already battered economy.
Nigeria on Friday reported eight deaths from the disease and confirmed 590 new cases, raising the country’s infection toll to 173,411.
This figure is contained in an update posted late Friday night on the official Facebook page of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the country agency in charge of testing and management of infectious diseases including coronavirus.
According to the update, Friday’s figure is higher when compared with 558 cases reported 24 hours earlier and ranks the latest highest daily tally since March 4 when 708 cases were reported.
The spread of the disease across 17 states of the federation and the FCT, also signals the consistent expansion of the distribution of the new cases.
In less than one week, Nigeria has been consistent in smashing previous records of highest daily tallies in months to indicate how swift the third wave of the pandemic is spreading.
On Saturday, Nigeria recorded 317 new cases as the country’s highest daily figure in four months, a record smashed by the 404 infections reported from 12 states and the FCT on Tuesday, which was also torpedoed by Thursday’s 535 cases.
Meanwhile, the hitherto highest daily figure of 558 in four months announced for Thursday has once again been displaced by the 590 cases announced late Friday night by NCDC.
Meanwhile, with the eight new fatalities on Friday, the total death toll in the country now stands at 2,149.
As part of efforts towards averting another lockdown which appears imminent, the Presidential Committee on COVID-19 under the leadership of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has consistently warned Nigerians against lowering their guards.
A statement issued late Friday evening by the committee warned political, including electoral bodies against violating the existing protocols that have been put in place to avoid the spread of the disease.
