COVID-19: OGUN STATE GOVERNMENT SETS TO BEGIN COMMUNITY TESTING FROM THURSDAY
The Ogun State Government has announced that it would begin community testing of the Coronavirus disease in the 20 Local Government Areas in the State.
Dr Tomi Coker, the State’s Commissioner for Health, announced this in a statement on Tuesday, October 6, 2020.
She revealed that the decision to begin the testing was a recommendation from the Presidential Task Force (PTF) to ascertain the prevalence of the disease, improve early case detection, and treat both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases.
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Dr Coker, who disclosed that the exercise would be free of charge, stated that the testing would commence in five major markets in each Council before moving it to designated Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in each Local Government.
She said community leaders have been engaged and urged to help in mobilizing residents to the testing centres.
“Evidence has shown that increased testing; including those done within communities will improve case detection, ascertain the true status of infectivity and thus help in limiting spread of the infection, particularly through unrecognized local transmission. This is a lesson we have learned from countries such as South Korea.
“In our country, increased testing has helped achieved the success we have attained thus far. However, we need to intensify on the efforts to multiply the gains and have better understanding of the pattern of the virus in Nigeria,” she said.
The Commissioner enjoined residents to join the efforts of curtailing the spread of the virus by presenting themselves for the exercise.
She added that sampling will be done Monday to Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. over the next 3 months in each Local Government Area.
According to the NCDC, as of October 6, 2020, Ogun State has recorded 1,892 cases of COVID-19, 1,733 discharges and 28 deaths.
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