ANKARA

The governor of Nigeria’s southeastern Abia state has tested positive for coronavirus, it was announced on Monday.

"Gov Okezie Ikpeazu tests positive for coronavirus, directs deputy gov to act on his behalf," said a brief statement on Abia State Government's Twitter handle.

Ikpeazu's result came out negative following his test on May 30. However, he submitted another sample on June 4, which turned out to be positive.

He "has gone into isolation" and is receiving healthcare by a team of medical practitioners, the Nigerian Tribune quoted Abia State Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, as saying.

With 260 new cases, the virus tally in the West African country has reached 12,486 with 354 deaths and 3,959 recoveries, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

The initial six-week lockdown, which ended on June 1, has been replaced with a second phase four-week lockdown from June 2-29 by the COVID-19 Presidential Taskforce.

New regulations include the ban on gatherings of more than 20 people outside of workplace, managed access to markets and locations of economic activity, 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 those with underlying medical conditions, and ban on inter-state travel continues except for movement of agricultural produce, petroleum products, manufactured goods and essential services.