Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State has commenced laboratory analysis of suspected COVID-19 samples collected within the state. The test is done at the Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, Amachara, in the outskirts of the state capital.
Prior to the test commencement, COVID-19 samples were taken to Irrua in Edo state which was the nearest location of the laboratory to the state.
Samples collected in the state were later taken to Abakaliki, Ebony State when the laboratory was established in that state.
According to a release by the state commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, commencement of the test in Abia was as a result of the nod given to the center by the NCDC after her inspection visit last weekend.
The team from NCDC, the release went further also trained staff of the laboratory and supervised the analysis of the initial test samples with results tallying with that obtained at their facility in Abuja.
With this development, all samples from Abia State would now be analyzed at the Amachara laboratory on Monday to commence operations.