The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Sunday  night confirmed 14  new cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria, with nine reported in Lagos State and five in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The NCDC, through its verified Twitter account, said that as at 9:30p.m, there were 111 confirmed cases of COVID19 pandemic reported in Nigeria with one death recorded.

It said “currently, Lagos has 68; Abuja- 21, Ogun– Three, Ekiti– one, Oyo– Seven, Osun- Two , Enugu– Two, Edo– Two, Bauchi-Two, while Benue, Kaduna and Rivers have one case respectively.

Lagos State still has the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country with 68 cases.

The cases reported were from travellers who have just returned to the country.

“Other cases were from people who have come in contact with infected people,” NCDC said.

Also, the World Health Organisation (WHO), said “there are 3,956 confirmed COVID-19 cases across 46 countries on the African continent with a total of 248 recoveries and 111 deaths reported.”

Meanwhile, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director-General of NCDC, said in Abuja, that the centre was working hard to expand its testing capacity for COVID19 pandemic in the country.

Ihekweazu said that currently there were six Molecular functional laboratories in the country with the capacity to test for COVID19 and the Lassa fever outbreak.

“We aim to scale up to 13 laboratories in the next three weeks. In progress are : Abakaliki, Maiduguri, Kano, Sokoto, Port-Harcourt, Jos and Kaduna State,” he said.

Ihekweazu noted that the laboratories would assist other response activities, thereby reducing the numbers of deaths.

The NCDC director-general said that the laboratories would also provide diagnostic support for a number of states in the country.

He noted that it would be critical to reducing turnaround time between identifying a suspected case and confirmation.

Ihekweazu, however, disclosed that no Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kit for the COVID19 pandemic have been validated and approved for sale.(NAN)