Less than 5 days to re-open, Lagos experiences spike in Covid-19 infection

As Lagos, the epicentre of Covid-19 in Nigeria, braces up to resume economic activities in four days’ time after a month-long Covid-19 lockdown, the rate at which the virus spreads in the state has remained on the up.

No fewer than 80 new coronavirus infections were recorded Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 844, more than 50 percent of 1532 confirmed infections in the country.

“195 new cases of #COVID19 reported; 80 – Lagos, 38 – Kano, 15 – Ogun, 15 – Bauchi, 11 – Borno, 10 – Gombe, 9 – Sokoto, 5 – Edo, 5 – Jigawa, 2 – Zamfara, 1 – Rivers, 1 – Enugu, 1 – Delta, 1 – FCT, 1 – Nasarawa,’ the NCDC stated in Tuesday update.

“As at 11:50 pm 28th April- 1532 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria,” the Centre stated adding that the total recoveries and fatalities in the country were 255 and 44 respectively.

Lagos has also discharged 138, the highest number of recovered patients in Nigeria.

In his last nationwide broadcast, President Muhammadu Buhari who quarantined the state and and two others (Ogun and Abuja) ordered gradual ease of the lockdown starting May 4.

The Nigeria Medical Association and other public analysts have warned Buhari tto extend the lockdown considering how the pandemic is spreading in communities.

But the Nigeria Governors Forum and opposition politicians clamoured for lifting of the restriction, citing the US and other countries preparing to do so.