Coronavirus cases in Nigeria reach 36,663

By Adam Abu-bashal

ABUJA (AA) - The total number of coronavirus cases in Nigeria have risen to 36,663, with 556 new infections, according to official statistics.

Some 11 new fatalities were recorded in the West African nation, bringing the death toll in the country to 789, according to figures from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) late Saturday.

More than 15,100 people have recovered from the virus in Nigeria.

The hardest-hit states are the commercial capital Lagos with 13,438 infections, the capital Abuja with 3,027 infections, and Oyo with 2,167 infections.

Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama announced on Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

''Did my fourth Covid-19 test yesterday at the first sign of a throat irritation and unfortunately this time it came back positive. That is life! Win some lose some. Heading for isolation in a health facility and praying for the best,'' he tweeted.

Since first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions. The US, Brazil, India and Russia are currently the countries hardest hit in the world.

The pandemic has killed over 605,200 people worldwide, with more than 14.45 million confirmed cases, according to figures compiled by US’ Johns Hopkins University. Over 8.12 million people have recovered from the disease.