India continues on its path of high testing: more than 8 lakh tests/day for 2nd day in a row
19 AUG 2020 Delhi: Keeping the focus on “TEST, TRACK AND TREAT” strategy, India has tested more than 8 lakh COVID-19 samples for the 2nd consecutive day in a row. With a strong resolve to rapidly increase the number of tests done per day to touch 10 lakh/day testing capacity, 8,01,518 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.
The cumulative testing as on date has reached 3,17,42,782. The Tests Per Million too have seen a sharp rise to 23,002.
It is only by aggressive testing that positive cases can be identified, their contacts tracked and isolated as well as prompt treatment can be ensured through timely medical care. The sustained level of high testing has played a key role in India’s increasing rate of recovery, widening gap between the recovered and active cases, and also progressively declining fatality rate.
India followed the track of a graded and evolving strategy, steadily strengthening its nationwide network of labs in the public and private sectors. Starting from one lab in January 2020, today 1486 labs dot the country; 975 labs in the government sector and 511 in the private sector. These include:
• Real-Time RT PCR based testing labs: 762 (Govt: 452 + Private: 310)
• TrueNat based testing labs: 607 (Govt: 489 + Private: 118)
• CBNAAT based testing labs: 117 (Govt: 34 + Private: 83)
