I’m sorry but the criteria to get a test is BS. Let’s discuss:

1) Anyone with a travel history outside Nigeria, who presents with a fever, cough or breathing difficulties within 14 days of arrival. https://twitter.com/ncdcgov/status/1247575715467472914

The FG banned international flights after March 23rd. Which by the way was more than 14 days ago. So who exactly can meet this criteria? People coming into the country by land and sea? Give me a break

2) Anyone who has symptoms and is a contact with a confirmed case.

I can’t speak to this but I hope it is being honored. I really, really hope there is robust contact tracing going on. And I wish the public would be officially informed about it.

3) Anyone with fever and either cough, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath in an area of high COVID-19 prevalence in Nigeria with no other explanation.

What is the definition of a “high prevalence area?” Neighborhoods, LGAs, states, other...? How many cases per thousand?

What about criteria #4? You have to be in a city where testing is taking place? Since travel is restricted and as far as I’m aware we’re talking about DNA-PCR testing which requires a blood sample, there are also huge geographic limits.

I’m not going to talk about my fears that testing is offered only to VIPs because I don’t actually know that to be true, but... in the early days of the virus in the US and UK this was absolutely going on. How did Idris Elba and Tom Hanks get tested when neither had symptoms?

The NCDC would do well to report out the number of tests conducted at each testing facility on a daily basis, as well as the number of positive cases. This is what Cameroon is doing. I think this level of transparency is a) achievable and b) extremely beneficial to the public.

We know testing is limited and will continue to be limited for some time. That’s ok. But please, just tell us what you’re actually able to do...