Nigeria minister of health, Osagie Ehanire has disclosed that Nigeria now has a 1500 testing capacity for covid-19 in a day.

This is because of the two new test labs completed in Ibadan and Ebonyi state.

Ehanire disclosed this on thursday while briefing the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.

The Minister said;

“With the expanded national case definition and addition of two new laboratories to test for COVID-19 in Ibadan and Ebonyi States, the national testing capacity is now at 1,500 a day. I applaud all our health workers and emergency responders in this critical time.”

The Minister also revealed that 71 per cent of 6,000 contacts have been traced.

Effort has been intensified to reduce the number of suspected cases who have not been reached.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu disclosed that the health agency has deployed officials to 15 states to boost the fight against the spread of coronavirus.

He said;

“Yesterday (Wednesday) we conducted the highest number of COVID-19 tests and recorded the highest number of positive cases in Nigeria,” Ihekweazu said.

“We have also deployed 15 rapid response teams to support 15 states. This is the largest deployment of resources ever for an outbreak in Nigeria.”