ABUJA, Nigeria

Nigeria has entered a second wave of coronavirus infections, an official announced Thursday. 

The number of COVID-19 cases detected in the country in the past two weeks indicates that a second wave of the outbreak has begun, said Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

Mustapha stressed that the country is at risk of losing not only the gains from the hard work of the last nine months but also the lives of citizens.

“We are in a potentially difficult phase of the COVID-19 resurgence. Accessing the hope offered by the arrival of the vaccine is still some time ahead,” he said.​​​​​​​ 

Health Minister Osagie Ehanire had earlier announced that the government would receive 20 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by January 2021.

More than 76,000 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in Nigeria so far, while 1,201 people have died from the virus. Over 67,000 patients have recovered.

*Writing by Merve Berker