COVID-19: Lagos Carries Out 197,000 Tests, Takes Stock Of Its Response

• COVID-19, Lagos

The Lagos State Government said that it had carried out a total of 197,000 COVID-19 tests since the outbreak of the disease in the state, out of which 26,000 tested positive.

“We are ramping up testing, we have now recently surpassed the 3,000 tests per day mark, and we will keep raising this number.

“So far, we have performed 197,000 tests in Lagos State of which 26,000 have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19”, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-olu said in a statement on Friday.

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He, however, added: “Sadly, we have lost 226 persons (May their souls rest in peace).

“It is important to note that Lagos already tests far more than any other states, accounting for 25 per cent of the total numbers tested nationwide.´´

The governor reiterated that testing in the designated public facilities remained free; as the Lagos State Government does not charge for COVID-19 tests in its Testing Centres.

According to him, the only test centres where there is a charge are the private ones, designated for intending travellers and those who needed to know their status for one reason or the other.

He assured that all persons who showed symptoms and fit the case definition for the coronavirus disease, would continue to be tested free of charge in government testing facilities.

Sanwo-Olu said that collection of samples for testing remained freely available in government´s sample collection centres in all Local Government Areas in the state.

“The majority of patients are electing to isolate at home, but our public isolation centres – of which the IDH in Yaba is the flagship – continue to remain open to patients.

“We are working hard to ensure that all the supplies and consumables required are constantly available, and we encourage all persons who have tested positive and are showing symptoms to seek care in our Isolation Centres.

“Do not seek treatment for the disease in private hospitals that have not been accredited for such treatment”, the governor warned, adding, “Let me also sound a note of warning to all private testing facilities that are complicit in the allegations of colluding with individuals to issue fake COVID-19 Test Results.

“We have zero-tolerance for this kind of criminal conduct, and will not hesitate to prosecute anybody found culpable, in addition to shutting down the offending laboratories, he said.