ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Friday, March 5, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
National coordinator, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu [Photo: Health News Extra]

National coordinator, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu [Photo: Health News Extra]

Coronavirus: Lawmaker calls for testing centre in all states

byYusuf Akinpelu
March 29, 2020
2 min read
ADVERTISEMENT

Nigeria needs to embark on massive testing and isolation of patients to check the spread of COVID-19 infection in the country, a member of the House of Representatives, Mansur Soro (APC, Bauchi), said on Sunday.

Citing the proximity of Taiwan to China, he said Taiwan has shown that the fight against COVID-19 is largely won through aggressive testing and that delay in taking proactive measures by the government could come at a huge cost.

Nigeria has recorded 97 cases of the infection in 12 states, which includes Lagos (59), the FCT (16), Oyo (7), Ogun (3), two in each of Enugu, Edo, Bauchi, and Osun States; and one in each of Ekiti, Rivers, Benue and Kaduna states.

But of these states, only six have a testing laboratory — Lagos has two and the rest of Abuja, Edo, Osun, Oyo and Ebonyi states have one each, all totaling seven. Compared to its 200 million population, that’s a centre for 29 million people.

That other states with confirmed cases, especially the whole of the north, save Abuja, do not have a test laboratory is disturbing, Mr Soro said in a statement he issued.

The northern part of the country has 19 states, spanning north-west, north-east, north-central. The region has recorded cases of COVID-19 in Bauchi, Benue and Kaduna states, as well as the FCT.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan earlier this month had raised a similar alarm about facility deficiency in the 19 northern states as well as the five southeastern states.

With about 300 per cent increase in one week, Nigeria’s total cases stand at 97, as of last count by the nation’s disease control agency, NCDC. But some believe the figure could be more, had the country tested more people.

As of March 26, its latest report, the NCDC had screened 846 persons. That is one test per 236,000 people. Africa’s worst hit, South Africa, has tested over 15,500 people, despite recording its index case a week later than Nigeria.

RelatedNews

COVID-19: Africa making progress on vaccine coverage – WHO

Police smash fake COVID-19 certificate racketeers

COVID-19: WAHO donates medical supplies to Nigeria

Enugu residents face acute water scarcity

Largely due to limited capacity, the NCDC has restricted testing to people who have travel history to high-risk countries and those who have had contacts with confirmed cases.

This is similar to the strategy used by the UK and the U.S. The latter has the highest recorded cases in the world.

Mr Soro noted that battling coronavirus is akin to a war and the authorities must treat it as such.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

He urged the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and state governments, especially ones with recorded cases to do more in putting the needed facilities to tackle a surge in cases recorded.

“With the financial intervention of N6.5 billion (in two payment installments) to NCDC by President Buhari and an average-monthly allocations of N6 billion each to States/LGAs,” he added, “there will be no justification whatsoever for Nigerians not to have a minimum of one testing centre per state.”

Chikwe Ihekweazu, NCDC boss, could not be reached for comment Sunday evening as his line was unavailable.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...



JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (0)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

My fears awaiting my Covid-19 test result – Fayemi

Next Post

Coronavirus: U.S. death toll now over 2000

Yusuf Akinpelu

Yusuf Akinpelu

Yusuf Akinpelu is PREMIUM TIMES' Head of Data Desk. Prior to this, he covered the National Assembly and fact-checked for Dubawa. He is a graduate of Statistics from the University of Ibadan. He has a penchant for books, debates, and wildlife.

More News

Lovemore Chinoputsa, (centre), a senior member of opposition Movement for Democratic Change trying to run away from Zimbabwe police arrests in Harare in June 2020. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)

COVID-19 pandemic sparks rights abuses worldwide – Report

March 5, 2021
COVID-19 vaccine [PHOTO CREDIT: The Economic Times]

COVID-19 ‘vaccine confidence’ grows as side effect worries fade – Survey

March 5, 2021
ARMY: Nigerian Soldiers (Army) on duty. [PHOTO CREDIT: The Guardian]

Nigerian Army debunks troops desertion reports

March 4, 2021
UPDATED: International flights resume at Lagos airport

Police smash fake COVID-19 certificate racketeers

March 4, 2021
COVID-19: WAHO donates medical supplies to Nigeria

COVID-19: WAHO donates medical supplies to Nigeria

March 4, 2021
Officials of Nigeria Immigration Service (Photo Credit: Immigration.gov.ng)

Insecurity: Nigeria to begin real time monitoring of immigrants at borders

March 4, 2021
Next Post
U.S. President Donald Trump plan on imposing travel ban on Nigeria and some other countries

Coronavirus: U.S. death toll now over 2000

President Muhammadu Buhari [Photo: © Presidency]

UPDATED: Coronavirus: Buhari bans movement in Lagos, Ogun, Abuja for 14 days

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,629,094 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.