ANKARA 

Nigeria, located on the western coast of Africa is continuously reporting new COVID-19 or coronavirus pandemic cases.

The country reported 595 new cases over the past 24-hours taking the tally of total infections to 34,854 cases with 769 deaths, health authorities said on Friday.

“To date, 34854 cases have been confirmed, 14292 cases have been discharged and 769 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the national capital Abuja, “the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said in an update issued on Friday.

“Collectively, we are developing our research facility in Nigeria to inform about the prevention and control of the COVID-19 outbreak,” Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control Chikwe Ihekweazu said at a press briefing.

He said they have launched the Nigeria COVID-19 Research Consortium in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and National Universities Commission.

With a population of 200 million, Nigeria is struggling to tackle the outbreak due to a poor health care system.

The government had eased virus restrictions on June 30 by permitting inter-state travel and also resumed domestic flights a week later.

The current nationwide curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. (2100-0300GMT), and restrictions on mass gatherings and sporting activities, however, remain in effect. The use of masks in public spaces is also mandatory.

Since first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 200 countries and regions. The US, Brazil, India, and Russia are currently the countries hardest hit in the world.

The pandemic has killed nearly 590,231 people worldwide, with more than 13.81 million confirmed cases, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University. Some 7.55 million people recovered from the disease.