As Nigeria gradually reopens its economy amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, the country has reported 298 more infections – the third-lowest since June 8.

On August 4, the country reported 288 COVID-19 infections and just one week later, it recorded 290 new cases.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced the latest figure in a late-night tweet on Sunday.

NCDC stated: "On the 16th of August 2020, 298 new confirmed cases and 1 death were recorded in Nigeria.

"Till date, 49068 cases have been confirmed, 36497 cases have been discharged and 975 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

It explained that the new infections were reported from 15 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Plateau reported the highest number of new cases – 108, followed by Kaduna with 49 while Lagos – the nation’s epicenter of the disease, recorded 47.

Others are Ogun – 18, Osun – 17, FCT – 15, Ondo – 14, Edo – eight, Oyo – six, Akwa Ibom – four, Cross River – four, Borno – three, Ekiti – two, while Bauchi, Kano, and Rivers have one more case each.

The new figure, which is 27 lesser than the last number of infections recorded on Saturday, brings the total number of cases in Nigeria to 49,068.

Although the total number of confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the country is near the 50,000 mark, Nigeria has continued to witness more recoveries.

According to the latest update on the outbreak, the nation’s health agency revealed that 207 more people have been successfully treated and discharged from various isolation centres in the country.

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On the other hand, the death toll from the disease is also witnessing a slow increase as it approaches the 1,000 mark.

As of August 16, 2020, the NCDC put the fatality figure at 975 noting that one more person has lost the battle to COVID-19.