For the first time in weeks, the number of persons discharged in one day exceeded the figure of new cases recorded across the country.
This is the highest rate of recoveries recorded in Nigeria with 649 people discharged within 24 hours. The new figure was given by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in its update for July 2, 2020.
Published just before midnight on Thursday, the update showed that 626 new samples tested positive for the coronavirus in 19 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).
Thirteen more people were confirmed to have died of COVID-19 complications on Thursday.
Out of a total of 27,110 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 35 states and the FCT, 10,801 patients have recovered while 616 deaths have occurred.
Meanwhile, as part of efforts to increase testing capacity, the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 has explained the steps to take in order to get tested.
Speaking at the press briefing on Thursday, Sani Aliyu, national coordinator of the PTF, gave a breakdown of what to expect when getting tested for COVID-19.
“Throughout the country, every state has an emergency operations centre. Most states will have a hotline. You can get the details of the helpline, the telephone number, from the NCDC website,” he said.
“Or if your state does not have a helpline, you can call the NCDC helpline directly to provide you with additional information on the next steps to take.
“Once you call, you will be asked for your address and either of two things could happen. If you’re not very symptomatic, you’ll be asked to go to a testing centre.
“After you’ve had your sample taken, you will be asked to self-isolate if you’re having symptoms until you receive your result.
“By self-isolation, we mean keeping away from the public as well as household members where possible; wearing a face mask properly to cover both your nose and mouth; maintaining physical distancing; avoiding mass gatherings and frequently disinfecting your hands with soap and water or a disinfectant, as well as disinfecting any surfaces that you may have worked on.
“You’ll be contacted with your result. If your result is positive and you have mild symptoms, you will be asked to isolate. If you have severe symptoms, you will be taken into a hospital setup. Otherwise, the isolation centre may not necessarily be a hospital setup, depending on the arrangements in your state.”
He urged persons with moderate to severe symptoms to “report to hospitals immediately for urgent care”.
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