The Federal Government has said it has successfully tracked down 71 per cent of the estimated 6,000 contacts of the confirmed Coronavirus cases in the country.
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Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, disclosed this at a press briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja on Thursday.
According to the minister, the lockdown imposed in Lagos and Ogun states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has helped health workers swiftly intensify efforts in carrying out contact tracing duties in the restricted areas and other parts of the country.
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He said: “Moreover, the lockdown in high burden States presents the advantage of reduced population mobility and leaves more people at home to be found during contact tracing.
“All of this means that more people and samples can be collected and tested more quickly, giving a shorter turnaround time, but it also means that more cases will be discovered initially than before.
“With 71 per cent of the over presumed 6,000 or more contacts now traced, the number of confirmed cases will be rising dramatically.
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“Contact tracing will still be intensified to reduce the number of outstanding cases.”
Ehanire also disclosed that the national testing capacity has increased, partly due to the expansion of the country’s case definition of the virus.
“With the expanded national case definition and the addition of two laboratories to the NCDC network of COVID-19 molecular laboratories, the national testing capacity has increased,” he said.
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He added that the Federal Government had \also expanded bedding and intensive care space in Abuja, Gwagwalada and have urged all States to do the same in their states, starting with tertiary hospitals.
“All facilities including private facilities where isolation and treatment of coronavirus are to be conducted will be inspected before accreditation by a team of experts,” he said.
Nigeria has recorded 184 confirmed Coronavirus cases as at Thursday evening.
Two fatalities have been reported while 20 patients have recovered and been discharged.
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