Nigeria has recorded 626 new COVID-19 cases in the country as total infections from the virus rose to 27,110.

This was confirmed in a tweet on Thursday night by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Statistics from the NCDC shows that Lagos recorded 193 cases, followed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with 85 cases.

Other states with reported cases are follows: Oyo-41 Edo-38 Kwara-34 Abia-31 Ogun-29 Ondo-28 Rivers-26 Osun-21 Akwa Ibom-18 Delta-18 Enugu-15 Kaduna-13 Plateau-11 Borno-8 Bauchi-7 Adamawa-5 Gombe-4 Sokoto-1

The number of deaths from the virus is now 616, as against 603 recorded on Wednesday. 10,801 patients have so far been discharged, haven recovered from the virus.

Meanwhile, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the centre has not relaxed its guidelines on mass gathering in the coronavirus (COVID-19) protocol.

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said this at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) media briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

“We are on the verge of opening our flights, airports and we have relaxed intercity travel.

“We know that we have family, loving people and that over the next few weeks, we will all start having this urge to go and visit our parents, our uncles and our aunts.

“We may also restart the funeral activities that we have postponed for months, start the weddings, wine carryings, birthing, baptisms that we have postponed for months.

“Yes, it’s important to do these things and the interstate travel will allow us to do this, but remember we haven’t relaxed the guidelines of mass gatherings,’’ he said.