Nigeria sees highest-ever COVID-19 infections

ANKARA (AA) – Nigeria has recorded the highest-ever number of COVID-19 cases since the deadly contagious disease was first reported in the Western African country in March, local media reported Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed some 663 new COVID-19 cases nationwide, including 108 cases in the state of Ogun, two figures seen as the highest ever recorded in the country and the state since March, The Nation newspaper reported.

Including the new cases, the tally of the COVID-19 cases has reached 13,462 with 365 infected people dead and 4,204 patients recovered, according to the report.

Nigeria's initial six-week lockdown which ended on June 1 has been replaced by the COVID-19 Presidential Taskforce with a second phase four-week lockdown through June 29.

New regulations include a ban on more than 20 people outside of workplace gatherings, managed access to markets and economic hubs, mandatory use of face masks, and mandatory provision of sanitizers and hand washing facilities in public.

Conditional relaxation of restriction on places of worship was also announced.

Isolation of residents with underlying medical conditions and a ban on inter-state travel will continue except for the movement of agricultural produce, petroleum products, manufactured goods, and essential services.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 188 countries and regions.

The pandemic has killed nearly 412,000 people worldwide, with total infections exceeding 7.25 million, while some 3.39 million people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by US’ Johns Hopkins University.