COVID-19: Nigeria Now Has The Capacity Of Testing 1,500 People Daily – Minister Of Health

Minister Ehanire
The Minister Of Health, Osagie Ehanire on Thursday evening during a briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said that the Country now has the capacity to test 1,500 people daily for the deadly novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Capacity Of Testing COVID-19

The Minister said;

“With the expanded national case definition and addition of two new laboratories to test for COVID-19 in Ibadan and Ebonyi States, the national testing capacity is now at 1,500 a day. I applaud all our health workers and emergency responders in this critical time.”

The Minister went further to state that over 71% of 6,000 contacts have been traced, and tested he also noted that they were intensifying efforts to reduce the numbers of suspected cases who are yet to be reached.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu revealed that the health agency had deployed its officials to 15 states in the bid to curb the spread any further.

He said;

“Yesterday (Wednesday) we conducted the highest number of COVID-19 tests and recorded the highest number of positive cases in Nigeria,” Ihekweazu said.
“We have also deployed 15 rapid response teams to support 15 states. This is the largest deployment of resources ever for an outbreak in Nigeria.”

Recall that the virology laboratory of the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi which was activated for Coronavirus testing, brought the number of COVID-19 testing labs in Nigeria to seven. Minister Of Health Nigeria Osagie Ehanire Photo Credit: Getty

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