The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Saturday announced the highest daily figure of confirmed coronavirus cases in Nigeria, with 553 new infections recorded.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 9, 855.

The NCDC, on its official twitter handle said that as of May 30, 12 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that 2,856 patients have been treated and discharged.

The NCDC data showed that the cases spread across 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with Lagos accounting for the highest number of 378 infections.

Others reported were; FCT (52), Delta (23), Edo (22), Rivers (14), Ogun (13), Kaduna (12), Kano (9), Borno (7), Katsina (6), Jigawa (5), Oyo (5), Yobe (3), Plateau (3) and Osun (1).

The NCDC noted that the government was working hard to test and treat who may have been infected with COVID-19.

“Please be cooperative  and avoid discrimination against those who have been visited by public health officials. They need your support and care while you aware taking responsibility,” it said.

NAN, reports that the NCDC announced the inclusion of Bauchi State Reference Molecular Laboratory, brings the total number of laboratories with the capacity to test for COVID-19 in the country to 29.

The other laboratories are;  the NCDC National Reference Laboratory, FCT and Defence Reference Laboratory, FCT.

Virology Laboratory of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State, Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory, Lagos State and Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo state

Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos State, Virology Laboratory of University College Hospital, Oyo State and Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), Ebonyi.

African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Osun State, National Veterinary Research Institute,Vom, Plateau. Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, DNA Laboratory, Kaduna State and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno.

Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training (CARMET), Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology, ABU, Zaria, Kaduna State, Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Bayero University Kano, Kano State.

Others are 54gene mobile laboratory, Ogun, 54gene mobile laboratory, Lagos State, 54gene mobile laboratory, Kano State. Mobile laboratory, Delta.

University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Satelite Molecular Laboratory, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Afriglobal Medicare Laboratory, Ogun and Sahel Centre for Molecular Diagnostics and  Research, Katsina State.

The NCDC said there are more than one laboratories in states like  Edo, Lagos and Kano, while efforts were ongoing to set up laboratories in Kwara and Gombe States.

The health agency said it had a National testing strategy and that was why it was using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), to scale for the COVID-19.

“At the moment, the COVID-19 tests that we report daily are coming from the PCR, they detect the genetic information of the virus, the RNA. That’s only possible if the virus is there and someone is actively infected.

“PCR tests are used to directly detect the presence of an antigen, rather than the presence of the body’s immune response, or antibodies.

“By detecting viral RNA, which will be present in the body before antibodies form or symptoms of the disease are present, the tests can tell whether or not someone has the virus very early on,” it explained. (NAN)