NCDC confirms 8 new cases of COVID19 in Lagos, Benue

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Saturday confirmed another eight new cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the country.

The NCDC, through its verified Twitter account, said that as at 4. 00p.m of March 28, Lagos has additional seven new cases, and Benue records its first confirmed case.

According to it, this brings the total confirmed cases in the country to 89, three had been discharged, while one death was recorded in the country.

It added that currently, Lagos has 59; Abuja- 14, Ogun- Three, Ekiti- one, Oyo- Three, Edo- Two, Bauchi-Two, while Benue, Osun and Rivers have one case respectively.

It was reported that Lagos State still has the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in country with 59 cases.

The cases reported were from travellers who have just returned to the country.

“Other cases were from people who have come in contact with infected people.

The Federal Government had announced that it would upgrade laboratories in Oyo, Abakaliki and Maiduguri (Borno) to reference laboratories to ensure prompt cases management of epidemic and pandemic outbreaks in the country.

It said that the laboratories would assist other response activities, thereby reducing the numbers of deaths.

The three laboratories, when updated, would become a molecular laboratories that would now have capacity to diagnose for epidemic and pandemic in the country.

The laboratories would also provide diagnostic support for a number of states in the country.

It will be critical to reducing turnaround time between identifying a suspected case and confirmation.