New Delhi: India has crossed a significant milestone of testing over 10 lakh samples for COVID-19 in a day, with more than 3.44 crore such tests conducted so far, while the caseload in the country is nearing the 30 lakh-mark.
As has been reported from the states and Union territories (UTs), which have pushed ahead with aggressive testing, there is a commensurate decline in the positivity rate, the Union health ministry said in a statement Saturday.
“Although a higher number of tests will initially lead to a rise in the positivity rate, it will eventually come down when combined with other measures such as prompt isolation, efficient tracking and timely, effective and clinical management,” the ministry said.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said, “Keeping with its promise of exponentially increasing the number of daily COVID-19 tests, India has crossed a significant milestone of testing more than 10 lakh samples in a day.”
With 10,23,836 COVID-19 tests performed on Friday, the country has achieved its resolve to test 10 lakh samples daily, he added.
The average number of COVID-19 tests conducted daily over the last three weeks also depicts the progress made in increasing the number of such tests across the country, Vardhan said.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), on an average, 8,89,935 COVID-19 tests were conducted daily in the country during the last five days.
A total of 3,44,91,073 samples were tested for the disease in the country till August 21.
India is also testing around 74.7 people per one-lakh population, much higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines of testing 14 people per one-lakh population, the apex health research body said.
Of the total 10,23,836 samples tested on Friday, around 3.8 lakh were subjected to rapid-antigen tests, sources said.
Of the total samples tested for COVID-19 so far in the country, around 28 per cent were subjected to rapid-antigen tests, they added.
“In a testament to the determined, focussed, consistent and coordinated efforts of the Centre and the state and UT governments, India has conducted 1 million tests in a span of 24 hours. With 10,23,836 tests done Friday, India has achieved its resolve to test 10 lakh samples daily,” the ministry said.
Combined with enhanced testing, the policies of the Centre, states and UTs have facilitated easy testing across the country. This has boosted the daily testing capacity, the ministry said.
A record number of daily tests has been achieved by evaluating and validating laboratories for COVID-19 testing across the country, the ICMR said.
(PTI)