The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded 1,064 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday as the deadly scourge continued its renewed surge in the populous African nation.

The public health body, on its verified website monitored on Sunday, said that 13 deaths were recorded on the date under review.

It attributed the recent surge in infections to the spread of the Delta variant in the country.

The staggering Saturday figure represented a huge leap compared to the 304 cases announced a day earlier.

The NCDC said that the new infections were recorded in nine states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the agency, the total infection figure in the country currently stands at 186,635, while the 13 new deaths increased the total fatality figure to 2,260.

A breakdown of the infections showed that Lagos State led  with 776 cases while Rivers followed with 196 cases.

It further showed that Ekiti ranked third with 49 cases, followed by Kwara with 33 cases, while Ogun and Benue recorded 21 and 18 cases respectively.

Oyo State followed with 13 cases; the FCT, five; Osun, four, while Yobe recorded two cases.

The health agency said that Nigeria had successfully treated 168,320 COVID-19 cases following the discharge of 279 additional patients on Wednesday.

The NCDC said that there were currently 16,055 active cases, a sharp rise from the 2,000 active cases reported in June.

According to NCDC, over 2.6 million samples of the virus, out of the nation’s roughly 200 million population, were tested, with an average test positivity rate of six per cent.

It also stated that the multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), activated at level two, had continued to coordinate the national response activities.

The NCDC reiterated that vaccines give a high level of protection from serious illness and death from COVID-19 variants, including the Delta variant.

“The more people are vaccinated, the less opportunity the virus has to spread and develop new variants.

“Remember to always adhere to all non-pharmaceutical preventive measures of COVID-19 to reduce the risk of spread.

“Always wear a face mask, avoid large gatherings, observe physical distance and wash hands frequently with soap and water,” it advised.