COVID-19: Nigeria records 3 more deaths, 100 infections

ANKARA

Three more deaths and 100 new COVID-19 infections were recorded in Nigeria in the past 24 hours, bringing the tally to 1,057 and 55,005 respectively, health authorities said on Monday.

Of the patients testing positive for the virus, 43,013 have recovered and discharged from hospitals in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),” the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said in its daily update.

With over 18,300 infections, the commercial capital Lagos remains Nigeria’s worst-hit city.

It is followed by the FCT, which includes the capital Abuja, with more than 5,300 cases, and the southwestern Oyo State, where almost 3,200 cases have been confirmed so far.

Meanwhile, the president has announced resumption of international flights to the country with some preventive measures.

“Introducing the Nigeria International Travel Portal (NITP), for Intending Travellers to Nigeria – Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 #PTFCOVID19,” the Nigerian presidency tweeted.

The preventive requirements include filling out a “pre-boarding health declaration and screening form” and uploading on the portal COVID-19 negative PCR test result taken maximum 96 hours before the traveling date.

The West African country's economy has been hit hard by the effects of the virus outbreak, as well as low oil prices.

Last week, the president said he is concerned about "spiraling food prices."

Since originating in China last December, the novel virus has infected more than 27 million people, and claimed over 883,000 lives, according to the latest figures by Johns Hopkins University.

After the US, India has the second-largest number of confirmed cases in the world -- over 4.2 million. It has reported 71,642 deaths, the third-highest in the world.

The South Asian country recorded more than 90,000 infections in the last 24 hours, taking its total above that of Brazil.