By Audrey Lotechukwu
TUE, APRIL 21 2020-theG&BJournal- Monday 38 new cases of the coronavirus were reported and that takes the country’s total to 665. One more death was counted and 18 more patients were discharged to bring the total of discharged patients to 188.
23 new cases were reported in Kano, a sudden and worrying burst in number, to take their tally from 36 to 59 within 24 hours. Lagos State is racing ahead with a total 376. 25 states in total have now reported confirmed cases as the country’s tally races towards the first 1000.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 confirmed Monday that 13 molecular laboratories nationwide have been activated, and the target this week is to double the current national testing capacity of 1,500 tests per day.
‘’Our strategy now focuses on the community and we have increased testing and social mobilization at the grassroots,’’ The Minister of Health Dr E. O Ehanire said Monday during the presidential Task Force briefing in Abuja.
He confirmed that the ‘’worrying increases’’ in the frequency and numbers of new cases recorded daily, is attributable to this new testing strategy, in combination with increased community transmission.
According to him, a robust national Response Action Plan is currently under development, to address the challenges arising from entry to COVID-19 community transmission phase.
‘’Our engagement to further intensify strategic house-to-house and cluster testing in communities has helped towards promptly detecting, testing and isolating, to mitigate the ongoing community transmission.’’
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