The Federal Government yesterday announced July 8 as resumption date for domestic flights even as Nigeria recorded 790 new cases of the deadly Coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 26,484. The latest number of infections is the highest daily spike of Covid-19 cases.
“I am glad to announce that Abuja & Lagos airports will resume domestic operations on the 8th of July, 2020. Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri & Maiduguri to resume on the 11th. Other airports on the 15th. Date for international to be announced in due course. Bear with us, please,” Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika tweeted late Wednesday night.
The resumption of flights came as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Delta recorded 166 new cases; Lagos, 120; Enugu, 66; Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 65; Edo, 60; Ogun, 43; Kano, 41; Kaduna, 39; Ondo, 33; Rivers, 32; Bayelsa, 29; Katsina, 21; Imo, 20; Kwara, 18; Oyo, 11; Abia, 10; Benue, six; Gombe, four; while Yobe, Kebbi and Bauchi recorded two each.
The NCDC said: “Nigeria has recorded 26,484 cases of COVID-19. 10,152 persons have been discharged, while 603 persons have died.”
Meanwhile, as part of its efforts to contain the scourge of Covid- 19 and fast track sample testing for coronavirus and other infectious diseases in the state and in the Northeast sub-region, the North East Development Commission (NEDC) handed over a comprehensively equipped Molecular Testing Laboratory to the Bauchi State government.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony held at the premises of the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi yesterday, the Managing Director/CEO of NEDC, Alhadji Mohammed Alkali explained that the molecular laboratory was equipped by the commission at the instance of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed whom he said had expressed resolve to ending the pandemic in the state.
He said the molecular laboratory in the state will include the diagnosis of other important diseases hitherto not tested in the state. The NEDC boss noted that the advent of Coronavirus pandemic brought to limelight the huge needs gap in the health sector both at federal and state levels. According to him, “For the Northeast region that is gradually recovering from a decade long insurgency, capacity insufficiency to contain COVID 9 is even more evident.
Commissioning the health facility, Bauchi Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, said that the center was established in order to fast track sample testing for infectious diseases even as he assured that the center will be effectively utilized for the control of infectious diseases in the state. The Governor reiterated his commitment to improve health care services delivery in the state, stressing that without quality health, no development can thrive.
