The COVID-19 infections in the country have risen by 67 per cent, the latest figures obtained by The PUNCH have shown.

The data also revealed that there was a 390.4 per cent increase in testing, which has led to an increase in the report of positive cases.

The report, which was released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, noted that “in weeks 23 and 24, the number of samples tested increased to 75,277 from 15,347 reported in weeks 21 and 22. These were reported in the 36 states and FCT.”

According to the World Health Organisation, from January 3, 2020 to July 5, 2022, there have been 257,637 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 3,144 deaths in Nigeria.

The global health organisation also said a total of 50,619,238 vaccine doses had been administered in the country as of June 26, 2022.

But the NCDC report, obtained on Monday, said, “In weeks 23 and 24, the number of confirmed cases in absolute numbers increased to 445 from 267 in weeks 21 and 22 (May 23 to June 5).

“In weeks 23 and 24, discharged cases increased to 185 from 47 in weeks 21 and 22.”

According to the NCDC data, Delta State reported 14 cases; FCT reported 24 cases; Kaduna 7; Kano 22; Lagos 314; Nasarawa 11; Plateau 1 and Rivers 44 cases in weeks 23 and 24, making a total of 445 cases.

Cross River State reported one case; FCT 20; Imo 38; Kaduna 3; Kano 42; Kwara 5; Lagos 137; Nasarawa 3; Rivers 16, making a total of 267 cases in weeks 21 and 22.

The PUNCH reports that there has been an increase in the number of reported cases in the United Kingdom.

According to the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics, COVID-19 infections in the UK are up by 32 per cent in the previous week with an estimated 2.3 million people infected.

The ONS said infection rates had continued to increase across all the four UK countries, likely driven by the growth of the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron sub-variants.

While the Federal Government did not explain why it increased its testing capacity, the NCDC in its report said, “There was an increase in reported cases from week 16 to week 22.”

Speaking in an interview, an expert virologist from the University of Maiduguri, Prof Marycelin Baba, noted that COVID-19 never “went on leave.”

Baba said, “COVID-19 did not go on leave in Nigeria. It is a virus; you can not totally say that you have eliminated a virus like that. Well, the NCDC might have observed something which led to an increase in testing.