Total coronavirus fatalities hit 19 on Saturday, The PUNCH reports.

This is as the number of infections recorded in the country rises to 542.



Disclosing this on Saturday night via Twitter, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said a total of 166 recoveries have been recorded so far.

“Forty-nine new cases of COVID-19 have been reported; 23 in Lagos, 12 in FCT, 10 in Kano, 2 in Ogun, 1 in Oyo, 1 in Ekiti.

“As at 10:40 pm 18th April there are 542 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria,” it said.

The PUNCH reports that amongst the recorded coronavirus deaths was that of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.

Kyari died of the lethal infection on Friday after testing positive for it earlier in March.

He was buried on Saturday at the Gudu Cemetery in Abuja according to Islamic rites.