Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has added two new molecular laboratories to the existing 13 to raise the number of COVID-19 testing centres to 15.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of the Agency, told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on Saturday in Abuja that the new facilities were located at the Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.
“Nigeria now has the capacity to do a minimum of 3,000 tests daily.
“However, a critical challenge remains sample collection and transportation to the relevant laboratories.
“The NCDC is working closely with state governors to strengthen the capacity for sample collection and transportation.
“In Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, officials have begun active case search in communities by visiting areas and collecting samples from people with fever and other respiratory symptoms,” he said.
He added that NCDC had provided states with additional sample collection kits to ensure that no gap was left in the agency’s goal to ensure that a minimum of 3,000 samples are tested daily.
He disclosed that one more laboratory would soon be activated in Port-Harcourt, adding that there were also plans to have more HIV and Tuberculosis laboratories in the country.
NAN quotes NCDC as saying on Friday that the country had registered 1,095 confirmed cases of COVID-19 nationwide.
Of the figure, 32 people have died, 855 people are being treated, while 208 people have recovered from the pandemic.