Lagos spends N800m to conduct coronavirus test on 16,000 residents

Lagos State government in abut the past eight weeks of coronavirus restriction and intervention activities has spent about N800 million conducting coronavirus test on 16,000 residents in the state.

The Commissioner for Health in Lagos State, Professor Akin Abayomi, said on Thursday that about 16,000 tests for the coronavirus have been conducted in the state, noting that this is the highest achieved by any state in Nigeria.

Abayomi said the tests were conducted for free by Lagos State government at the cost of between N40,000 to N50,000 per person. Invariably, the Lagos State government took responsibility to offset the cost of the coronavirus test on citizens.

Professor Abayomi projected that Lagos State is expecting to see more cases of about 250 or 300 daily, by next week. He disclosed Lagos has developed the capacity to test 800 persons daily.

The Commissioner for Health also observed that many residents upon testing positive, refuse to be isolated at the centres in the state, but go home and treat themselves. He said, the government is now working around regulating home isolation.

He also revealed that clinical drug trials, as well as for hydroxyl-chloroquine will soon begin in the state.