Nigeria: COVID-19 fatalities nearly tripled in 1 month

ANKARA (AA) - The number of people who died of COVID-19 in Nigeria this month has more than doubled compared to the figure in November, amid a second wave of the virus, local media reported Monday.

Critical infections over the novel virus have also witnessed a spike in the country while Nigerian states continue to take stricter measures to halt the spread of the disease, local news website The Nation reported.

The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in December, as of Saturday, has confirmed 74 coronavirus-related deaths, going up from 27 in November, it cited.

During the same period, 15,949 infections have also been confirmed in the country, according to the report.

The NCDC voiced that following a progressive drop in the number of COVID-19-related deaths reported from September to November, the tally of deaths due to the virus regained momentum this month, which however is not the highest monthly death rate so far. In June, 305 deaths were confirmed in the country, according to The Nation.

In its daily update, the NCDC announced seven more COVID-19-related deaths and 838 new cases countrywide within the last 24 hours.

“Till date [Sunday], 84,414 cases have been confirmed, 71,034 cases have been discharged and 1,254 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” the NCDC added.

The first COVID-19 case was reported in China’s Wuhan city last December before spreading all around the world. More than 80.83 million people have contracted the virus, while over 1.76 million have died, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University.