The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria has exceeded 50,000, with 593 new cases reported by local health authorities late Wednesday.
According to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) which heads national response to the pandemic, the new cases were recorded across 16 states in the country, bringing the national tally to 50,488.
So far, the number of deaths related to the novel coronavirus has reached 985, with recoveries standing at 37,304, according to NCDC data.
Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, has remained the epicenter of COVID-19, with 17,092 confirmed cases, or almost one-third of the national total. The capital, Abuja, is the second most affected city or state in Nigeria, with 4,837 confirmed cases.
Health authorities have so far carried out almost 360,000 tests since February, the NCDC records indicated, with over 12,199 cases still active across the country.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has appreciated the Chinese government and people for their generous support and assistance.
In a phone conversation with Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama on Wednesday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China is willing to continue providing help and support for Nigeria’s fight against COVID-19 till the African country finally prevails over it.C
