But amidst the ongoing strike by members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), the largest group of physicians working across the country’s tertiary hospitals, the rising cases of the pandemic are biting Nigeria harder. The industrial action, which on Wednesday reached its 10th day, has paralyzed activities across the nation’s tertiary health facilities except for a few ones where NARD members refused to down their tools.

Meanwhile, the NCDC also noted in its Wednesday update that one death was recorded from the disease, raising the country’s total infection figure since the index case in 2020 to 179,908. The disease center also said Nigeria’s fatality toll from the disease now stands at 2,195. Since the discovery of the highly transmissible delta variant of the disease, there has been a consistent spike in infections in Nigeria, with the figure of the country’s active cases currently standing at 11,500.

   Health experts and authorities have advised Nigerians to take preventive measures against the disease to prevent its further spread. Meanwhile, the NCDC said about 166,203 of them over 179,000 total infections in Nigeria have been released from hospitals after treatment. According to the NCDC update, 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accounted for the 790 new cases on Wednesday. Over two-thirds of the new cases, 574, were recorded in Nigeria’s commercial center and COVID-19 epicenter, Lagos.

   Rivers State came second with 83 cases while Ondo State followed with 38 and Ogun State registered 31. Oyo State recorded 23 new infections with Delta State reporting 10 while the FCT registered nine cases. Ekiti State recorded seven while Edo State reported six. Also, NCDC said Osun State recorded four infections while Anambra and Bayelsa reported two cases each, even as Plateau State reported only one.