Amaravati: Apart from officially flagging off the rapid testing kits imported from South Korea on Friday, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy also underwent the COVID-19 test. When the results came about ten minutes later, everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Jagan Mohan Reddy tested negative for coronavirus.
The state will also breathe easier as the introduction of the fast-action test kits will mean quicker results and consequently better chances of treatment and containment.
At present, 2,100 tests are being conducted in 7 labs per day. In addition to that, the state has over 240 other kits for conducting the tests extensively.
With the arrival of one lakh rapid test kits for testing COVID-19 cases, doctors would be able to test over 10 lakh cases. The Chief Minister said the fight against the pandemic can be speeded up with the arrival of the new rapid test kits.
Special Chief Secretary for Health Jawahar Reddy said the kits would be dispatched to all the districts in three days and doctors are being given special training to handle the kits.
As many as 16,555 tests were conducted in the state till April 16. While 331 tests were conducted for every 10 lakh people in Andhra Pradesh, in Rajasthan the rate of testing is 549 persons per 10 lakh people, 485 in Kerala and 446 in Maharashtra, the officials said.