Lockdown Looms As Nigeria Records 1,149 New COVID-19 Cases, Highest In 2021

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC has confirmed 1,149 cases of COVID-19 in sixteen states across the country.

The health agency made the revelation on Thursday morning via a post on its verified Facebook page.

In the latest development, Lagos State, the epicenter of the dreaded disease in Nigeria recorded 680 fresh cases followed by Rivers with 157 infections.

According to the new update, the country has also recorded seven deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total fatalities so far to 2,236.

FG clears air on declaring lockdown in Nigeria over COVID-19 Delta variant

Since the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria in 2020, Nigeria had recorded 184,593 while 167,738 have been successfully treated.

It was reported that the development is coming amid fear of a fresh lockdown due to the third wave of the virus. A similar lockdown kept the entire world at a stand still in 2020.

However, the Federal Government on Thursday last week allayed the fear of a fresh lockdown, saying that the country was not at a level where another national lockdown will be considered, despite the presence of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in the country.

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, made the clarification while speaking during the weekly ministerial press briefing at the Presidential Villa in the nation’s capital, Abuja.