Operators Say Lagos COVID-19 Drive-through Test Centre Not Affected by Lockdown … Screens 70 Persons on First Day

Matilda Omonaiye/

The Chief Executive Officer of Life Bank Nigeria, the organisation behind the novel mobile COVID-19 test centre in Lagos State, Temie Giwa-Tubosun, has said the centre will remain operational despite the 24 hours lockdown in the state.

She stated this on Twitter while responding to a question about how the lockdown will make it possible for interested persons to get to the test centre.

According to her, those who meet the criteria for testing and are selected will be sent a permit that will guarantee their safe passage through the checkpoints to the test centre located at the headquarters of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Yaba.

Speaking further on the initiative, Giwa-Tubosun disclosed that the centre, which was set up in collaboration with NIMR, had tested 70 people since it became operational yesterday.

She added that her organisation is hoping to increase the centre’s testing capacity to 200 per day and also create more centres in Lagos and in other states.

“Yesterday, LifeBank in partnership with @nimrnigeria launched a mobile testing center to help expand testing in our community for #COVID19! We had the idea 5 days ago, built the facility, got funded & launched! We’ve tested 70 folks and can’t wait to expand testing to 200 a day.

“If you are interested in helping us expand this Lagoswide and to a few other states, please send a note to temie at lifebank dot ng! We need more resources to do so much more,” she further tweeted.

While annoucing the opening of the centre, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control had noted that only those who meet the current National Case Definition for COVID-19 will be considered for testing.

According to NCDC, the updated national case definitons for determining those that can be tested include:

1. Returning travellers with fever, cough or difficulty breathing
2. Contacts of confirmed cases with these symptoms
3. Those with fever and respiratory symptoms in areas of moderate-high prevalence.

It directed those who meet the criteria to visit https://nimr.covid.com.ng/ to register to be considered for testing at the drive-through centre.

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