Lagos conducted 197,000 COVID-19 tests – Sanwo-Olu

The Lagos State government, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said on Friday the state government had carried out a total of 197,000 COVID-19 tests since the outbreak of the pandemic in the state.

Nigeria recorded its first COVID-19 case in February when an Italian national tested positive for the virus and treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Yaba area of the state.

Sanwo-Olu, who disclosed this in a statement, added that 26,000 people had tested positive for COVID-19 in the state.

He said: “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.

“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, saying the state government does not charge for COVID-19 tests in its testing centres.

READ ALSO: Sanwo-Olu tests positive for COVID-19

He assured that all persons who showed symptoms and fit the case definition for COVID-19 would continue to be tested free of charge in government testing facilities.

Sanwo-Olu said the collection of samples for testing remained free in government´s sample collection centres in all local government areas in the state.

The governor added: “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. 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.”

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