As states struggle to curb the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, Nigeria is now averaging more than 700 new cases, says the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The NCDC, which disclosed this on Thursday morning, added that the country registered 790 additional infections on Wednesday, increasing the 610 cases it registered a day earlier.

Owing to a sudden surge, driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant, the country’s average daily COVID-19 cases showed that Wednesday’s increase was the highest since February.

The surge resulted in the federal government calling on Nigerians to take responsibility and adhere to preventive measures.

The NCDC noted that states were struggling to curb the spread of the Delta variant. Due to the spread, NCDC observed that Lagos set a new record for COVID-19 on Wednesday with 574 cases, and infections in Rivers jumped to 83, Ondo (38), Ogun (31), Oyo (23), Delta (10), the FCT (9), Ekiti (7), Edo (6), Osun (4).

Anambra and Bayelsa recorded two cases each, and  Plateau had one, while Kano, Nasarawa, and Sokoto, reported zero cases, NCDC said.

One new death was also recorded on Wednesday, bringing the nation’s fatality count, since the pandemic started, to 2,195.

The NCDC added that 74 people recovered and were discharged from various isolation centres on Wednesday, with total recoveries nationwide since the onset of the pandemic clocking 166,203.

It also disclosed that the country’s active cases had soared to 11,500.