Nigeria has recorded 13 new laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Lagos and Edo states, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
A weekly epidemiological data from the agency showed that Lagos reported 12 new cases of COVID-19, while Edo reported one between December 31, 2022 and January 6, 2023.
This has increased the total number of confirmed cases of the disease across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to 266,463, with 3,155 deaths, while 259,850 cases have been discharged.
On January 4, 2023, the NCDC admitted that the Omicron variant detected in December 2021, its sub-lineage (BQ.1/BQ.1.1), had been dominant in Nigeria.
But the agency said none of the virus’s sub-lineages (XBB.1.5 and BF.7) – partly responsible for fueling the current increase in infection, hospitalisations and deaths in China and other countries – have been detected in the country.
The NCDC, on its microsite, stated: “From December 31, 2022 to January 6, 2023, 13 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria. To date, 266,463 cases have been confirmed; 259,850 cases have been discharged; and 3,155 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The 13 new cases are reported from two states – Lagos (12) and Edo (one). A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC) activated at Level 2 continues to coordinate the national response activities.”
