India Meets 1 Mn COVID-19 Tests in a Day Target: Health Ministry

There has also been an almost 100 percent increase in recovered cases in the last 21 days.

With a record total of 10,23,836 tests, India cross the one million daily tasting milestone, on Friday, 21 August, according to data released by the Ministry of Health.

Further the Ministry of Health took to Twitter to share that there has been an almost 100 percent increase in recovered cases in the last 21 days.

“Early identification through TESTING, prompt & effective TREATMENT through supervised home isolation and quality medical care, & innovative graded policy measures have resulted in almost 100% increase in recovered cases in the last 21 days.” (sic)   

WHAT DOES THE HEALTH MINISTER SAY?

Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, reportedly told Hindustan Times (HT) that the government was aggressively pursuing its targets.

“We have met our goal of doing one million Covid-19 tests a day at least six weeks ahead of target --- just as we have done in the past for other goals. When we promised to take testing up to 100,000 a day by May 31, we achieved that target by May 10. A few weeks go, I had promised to reach the one million a day mark in 12 weeks. And now look at our progress,”   

Dr Harsh Vardhan

WHAT DOES ICMR SAY?

Further, according to HT, ICMR director general Balram Bhargava had recently said “If we look at overall testing numbers, then we are comfortably placed but there are certain states/regions that need extra attention.”

Bhargava had also informed that they have, thereby, focused on those observations in building their testing capacity.

“States where there were fewer labs were given priority to establish or upgrade existing infrastructure.”   

Balram Bhargava

NETWORK OF OVER 150O TESTING LABS ACROSS INDIA

Each state is at least meeting the minimum WHO recommendation of 140 tests per day per million, reported HT, and the national average is 580 tests per day per million population.

Testing is paramount to curtailing the spread of the infection, and treating the infected individuals, as well as understanding the burden of the disease on the country.

According to HT, the testing lab network in the country presently consists of 1,504 labs, of which 978 labs are in the government sector and 526 are private.

Reported coronavirus cases in India are slated to cross 3 million on Saturday.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times.)