The Enugu State Government has announced 22 new cases of COVID-19 in the state, bringing the total number to 57.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ikechukwu Obi, said this in a statement in Enugu on Monday.

Obi said that the State Ministry of Health gave the confirmation through the update given by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“The Enugu State Ministry of Health confirms 22 new cases of COVID-19 in the state since the last update which have (cases) been updated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC),” he said.

He added that the state has 57 positive cases, 26 active cases, 26 discharge and five deaths.

The commissioner noted that out of the 57 cases, 23 were health workers, who were infected.

“Consequently, Enugu State has recorded 57 positive cases of COVID-19, 26 active cases, 26 discharged and 5 deaths. Of all these, 23 out of the 57 cases are health worker infections,” he said.

He urged residents to continue to endeavour to stay at home when it was not absolutely necessary to go out, wear facemask whenever they must go out, keep a safe distance from other people at all times.

Others included practicing of good respiratory hygiene (when coughing or sneezing), cleaning of surfaces with a 1 in 6 concentration of bleach and water, washing of hands with soap for 20 seconds under running water as often as possible.

He explained that where facilities for hand washing were unavailable, people should sanitise their hands as often as possible using alcohol-based hand sanitisers so as to stay safe.