COVID-19 cases in Nigeria rose further on Tuesday, inching towards the 50,000 marks after the country confirmed 423 new cases.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, which announces national figures, revealed that the new cases were spread across 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

They take the country’s total number of cases to 47,290. Out of the number, 33,609 patients have been discharged, while 956 people have lost their lives.

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On Tuesday, Lagos, the country’s pandemic epicenter, witnessed 117 new cases followed by the FCT with 40 cases, while Ondo and Rivers's states recorded 35 and 28 cases respectively.

Osun State witnessed 24 more cases, Benue – 21, Abia – 19, Ogun – 19, Ebonyi – 18, Delta, and Kwara – 17 each, while Kaduna and Anambra recorded 15 and 14 cases respectively.

Other states with new cases are Ekiti – 11, Kano – 9, Imo – 6, Gombe – 4, Oyo – 3, Bauchi – 1, Edo – 1, Nasarawa – 1.

Tuesday’s numbers continue a run of lower new case numbers in the country. In August, new case numbers have averaged below 500 unlike the situation in June and July when the daily average was over 500 with 745 cases recorded on June 18.

But many believe the low numbers are down to low testing in the country. Only 319,851 COVID-19 tests had been conducted in Nigeria as of August 11, compared to more than three million tests in South Africa, which has more than 500,000 confirmed cases.

Referring to the decline in daily numbers on Monday, the Nigerian government warned that they should not be misinterpreted as the country had not reached the peak of the pandemic.

“The low test/ case confirmation numbers coming out daily should not be misinterpreted to mean that we have overcome. We have over time ramped up testing but more needs to be done to raise the quantum of test per million,” the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, said.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s battle against the pandemic received a boost on Tuesday as the United States government handed over 200 ventilators to the country.

The items were presented on Tuesday by the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Bert Leonard, in the nation’s capital.

Leonard said the gesture, which fulfills a promise made by US President Donald Trump, reflected a robust diplomatic relationship that both countries have sustained for over 50 years.

She also applauded the Federal Government’s response to the pandemic, assuring Nigeria of the continued support of the United States.

“Nigeria is now one of just two countries in Africa to have an Oxygen Roadmap that seeks to fight against Harmonia, Hyposmia and now COVID-19.

“While we all continue to face unprecedented challenges as a result of COVID-19, I will like to laud Nigeria’s efforts in taking early action to combat and ameliorate this spread,” she said.