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Covid-19 Testing Capacity Scaled Up To 95,000 Per Day, Says Health Minister

India has so far tested over 15 lakh individuals for Covid-19.

Medical workers collect swab a sample for Covid-19 testing in India. (Source: PTI) 
Medical workers collect swab a sample for Covid-19 testing in India. (Source: PTI) 

The testing capacity for Covid-19 has been scaled up to around 95,000 tests per day, said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday.

So far, a total of 15.26 lakh tests have been conducted across 332 government and 121 private laboratories, he said.

Vardhan was reviewing the measures put in place in North East India to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

“It is a huge relief and very encouraging to see green zones in most north-eastern states,” Vardhan was quoted as saying in a press release. “As of date, only Assam and Tripura have active Covid-19 cases. Other states are all in the green zone. Let us focus and work together by converting the orange zones to green zones... across the states.”

So far, Tripura has reported 118 cases, Assam 59, Meghalaya 12 cases, Manipur two and Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported a case each as of 8 AM on Saturday morning. Meghalaya and Assam have also reported one fatality each so far.

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Vardhan flagged the large prevalence of non-smoking tobacco usage in some of the states, stressing the need to take concrete action to discourage the use of these products, including a prohibition on spitting in public places as a means to prevent the spread of disease.

The union minister also cautioned government functionaries he interacted with to ensure that those returning to the states, including migrant labourers and students, be screened and quarantined as per gudelines and protocol laid down by the ministries of health and external affairs.

States that have international borders need to take adequate measures in border areas, including conducting screening of all individuals at entry points, he added.

Vardhan said while some states have worked in this direction, others need to focus on more effective surveillance, contact tracing, house to house surveys and early diagnosis.