Nigeria has recorded 204 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 1932: the total number of confirmed cases in the country and also a total of seven deaths in the last 24 hours. Announcing this Thursday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Lagos and Kano states have the highest numbers. While Kano recorded 80 new cases, Lagos State recorded 45 new cases. The spread of the virus further intensified in Gombe state as the state recorded 12 new states. Bauchi and Sokoto states both recorded nine new cases each; Borno and Edo states recorded seven new cases each. River and Ogun also confirmed six new cases each.
Nigeria’s capital city Abuja, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states confirmed four new cases each. Kaduna, which is currently on a 30-day lockdown, confirmed three new cases while Oyo, Delta and Nasarawa states recorded two new cases each. Ondo and Kebbi states also confirmed one case each in the last 24 hours. It said: “As at April 30, 35 states and the FCT have recorded at least one confirmed case of COVID-19. 71 per cent of all cases are from three states. 319 persons have been discharged while 58 have unfortunately lost their lives.”
Nigeria will begin a “phased and gradual” easing of more than four weeks of lockdowns in the national capital and the largest city on May 4, President Muhammadu Buhari said in an address on Monday.
Lagos and Ogun states and the federal capital territory of Abuja entered lockdowns to tame the spread of the new coronavirus on March 30.
Buhari said the lockdowns had come at a “very heavy economic cost,” stripping many citizens of their livelihoods. “No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines,” Buhari said.
Most state governments will enforce an overnight curfew, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and also will require all those who are out during the day to wear face masks. The federal government will also enforce a ban on non-essential movement between Nigeria’s 36 states, a measure the governors’ forum had requested
