Coronavirus: We’ve tested 4,000 persons, says NCDC

Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says the agency has tested about 4,000 persons for coronavirus.

At a media briefing on Friday Ihekweazu also said 6,700 contacts have so far been identified.

He said the country has scaled up its testing capacity with a new laboratory at the federal capital territory (FCT), bringing the total number of laboratories for testing for the disease to eight.

Ihekweazu said there are now three laboratories working independently in Lagos, while more laboratories will be activated in Kano and other states in the north.

“In terms of contact tracing, cumulatively, we have identified about 6,700 contacts. We have followed up on about 71 percent of that. Lagos, particularly, has benefitted from the ‘lockdown’, which has really enabled them to do this very difficult work,” he said.

“To date, we have tested about 4,000 people and we will continue to drive up this number. We have fulfilled every requirement for a test. Sometimes, there have been some delays, but every single sample that has come forward has actually been tested.

“Currently, we have added one more lab this morning. The reason is that now three labs will be working independently in Lagos. Now, the Bio-Security Centre in Lagos that used to work with LUTH in collaboration has now completely separated. So, we have now three labs working independently in Lagos; we now have a total of eight.

“Today, we are activating a second lab in Abuja – the Defence Reference lab – to support not only the Armed Forces, but everyone around that area – their families and everyone else. We will work with them to scale up that testing.

“We have some proposals we are working on with the private sector. The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority is working with us to increase laboratories in three locations in Nigeria.

“Yesterday, we conducted the highest number of COVID-19 tests and recorded the highest number of positive cases in Nigeria.”

The NCDC boss added that the government is trying to increase its testing capacity by partnering with the private sector.

Currently, Nigeria has recorded 190 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 20 patients discharged and two deaths.