The National Centre for Disease Control is set to increase its capacity to test for the Coronavirus to 1500 persons per day.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said this on Tuesday.
Dr. Ihekweazu, made this known at the Presidential Taskforce Briefing on COVID-19 on Tuesday, in Abuja.
“Last week, we had the capacity to test 500 per day, by the end of this week we will be at 1000 a day. By next week we are hoping to get to 1500 a day.”
This is coming, after the donation of test kits and other relief materials by a Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, and other well-meaning Nigerians, to help the Federal Government in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Nigerians need to reduce the demand side of the testing to those who really needed it”. he said.
Furthermore, Dr. Ihekweazu, announced four fresh cases of the novel coronavirus in Osun and Ogun States on Tuesday morning.
As at 31st, March 2020, there are 139 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Nigeria, with 9 discharged and 2 deaths. Lagos currently has the highest number of infected cases with 82, FCT- 28, Ogun – 4, Enugu – 2, Ekiti – 1, Oyo – 8, Edo – 2, Bauchi – 2, Osun – 5, Rivers -1, Benue – 1, and Kaduna – 3.
According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, Infections worldwide have passed 786,000, with over 37,800 deaths. Italy currently retains the highest death toll with 11,591, followed by Spain with 7,716. Over a 100,000, persons have since recovered from the virus.
Meanwhile, Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus broke out late last year, has not had new cases of the Covid-19 since 23 January. The Chinese Health Commission said.
