According to the tweet on his handle on Tuesday, the NCDC Director-General, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said that the agency has increased its testing capacity.
According to the NCDC boss, the agency is planning to test 1000 samples daily in Abuja and other parts of the country.
Dr. Ihekweazu added that NCDC is on the lookout for those who meet the case definition for COVID-19.
“The target is to test 2000 samples in Lagos, 1000 in Abuja and in the rest of the country daily, of the right people who meet the case definition,” the NCDC boss said.
We’re expanding our labs, we have provided states with sample collection kits and developing innovative methods to ensure testing.”
See Tweet Below:
We have begun to focus critically on the 2nd & 3rd components of our case definition to test more people with:
🔬Fever & respiratory tract symptoms in a contact
🔬Fever & respiratory tract symptoms of unknown cause
This is our main focus this week. Our labs are ready for this pic.twitter.com/nmslNyFop6
— Chikwe Ihekweazu (@Chikwe_I) April 14, 2020
The target is to test 2000 samples in Lagos, 1000 in Abuja and in the rest of the country daily, of the RIGHT people who meet the case definition.
We’re expanding our labs, have provided states with sample collection kits and developing innovative methods to ensure testing pic.twitter.com/GOx41ArAfK
— Chikwe Ihekweazu (@Chikwe_I) April 14, 2020
Also He explained that“Our laboratories are ready and have the capacity to test. We must all push harder than we have.
“The responsibility lies with the government as well as with citizens. We can pull through if we stay together.”
The NCDC had on Tuesday confirmed 11 new COVID-19 cases in Lagos State, taking Nigeria’s total to 373 cases.
The latest confirmation comes less than two hours after the agency confirmed 19, cases – 14 of them in Lagos, two in the Federal Capital Territory and one in each of Akwa Ibom, Edo and Kano states.